


Teach Me, Please

by KyloWithAZukoArc



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Dark Reylo, Dominant Kylo Ren, F/M, I could show you the ways of the force, Kylo Ren Has Issues, Kylo Ren Needs a Hug, Kylo Ren is Not Nice, Kylo Ren is a Mess, Kylo Ren x Original Character - Freeform, Love Triangles, Original Character(s), Reylo - Freeform, Slow Burn, Slow Burn Rey/Kylo Ren, Supreme Leader Kylo Ren, Teacher Kylo Ren, The Dark Side of the Force (Star Wars), You Need A Teacher, kylo ren x oc - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-10
Updated: 2021-03-03
Packaged: 2021-03-08 01:27:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 39
Words: 90,420
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26937379
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KyloWithAZukoArc/pseuds/KyloWithAZukoArc
Summary: SLOW BURN LOVE TRIANGLE story with OC, ultimately Reylo, but it is a LONG, ARDUOUS ride to get there. Kylo Ren offered Rey everything, but she rejected him. Enter Krys, a Dark Force user, desperate for a teacher. She will do anything for Kylo to train her. Pairings: Kylo x Rey // Kylo x OC // Hux x OC. REYLO SMUT in chapter 38. OC SMUT IN CHAPTERS 15, 20, and 39. My attempt to make TROS make sense. UPDATES EVERY WEDNESDAY!
Relationships: Kylo Ren & Original Female Character(s), Kylo Ren/Rey
Comments: 191
Kudos: 88





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Came from an AU where Rey begged Kylo to train her, but eventually just became their own character. Rey herself won't appear until chapter 18. IF YOU DON’T LIKE PAIRINGS WITH OCs, then I recommend other works of mine - “The Stranger in Her Town” and “REYvenge” - which are very Reylo. 
> 
> PS The Dark Side is really hot yall.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last reminder: Don't like, don't read. Thanks ya'll. Enjoy.

She was desperate. The kind of desperate that is frayed at its ends, that’s unraveled and unraveling and the only way to get it under control is to cut it off, pin it back, and stab it a million times until it is sown back into itself. That was how Krys handled her emotions. How she channeled her feelings.

She cut them off. She pulled herself back, stabbed down the fear, until all was left was precise, neat, purposeful intent.

Cold. Calculating. Directed. Rage and fury.

She knew it was the Dark Side. Knew it was what both fueled her and contained her. She was the vessel for its will, and her blood was its blood. From such a young age, it had revealed itself to her - that fateful day in the woods when she wandered off against her parents’ wishes. That day she crossed the threshold into the swamp, and she saw it. In the deep wells of the abyss she saw herself. Older. Angrier. Holding a blade of unknown red light. And her enemies torn asunder at her feet.

Krys dreamt it every day until she was a teen, each week, month, year, beckoning that same power she felt in the woods to imbue her. She needed it. There was no explaining how or why but she needed it.

And when it came to her on her 13th birthday, it didn’t hold back.

The power. It was overwhelming. The girl could hardly understand it. But all she wanted was to be its medium. She completely surrendered to it. She became its arm, its hand, its blade, its weapon. She let it do what it willed. Within it was the cold fury of ancients passed, and she gave them what they wanted.

Blood.

Blood of her family. Her sister. Her brother. Her parents. Until the village chased her out, and there was no coming back.

The Force didn’t come back for a long time. She was so confused, terrified. What had she _done_? And why did she love every minute of it?

And why had it not returned?

Furious, she scouted into the world on her own, doing whatever she needed to get by. She scrounged like a dog, she stole like a rat, she was beaten and bruised. She even sold her body. Until one night she couldn’t take it anymore, and the darkness returned to her once more as she slew the offending lover.

She held it now. She brought the entire place down with it. She laughed as this newfound power coursed through her veins and she crumbled the foundations, crushing every client and fellow bed girl in there. She didn’t care. She finally had it back.

And she knew then that it was pain that fed it.

So she gave it pain.

She gave it all the pain she had.

But she was still lost. This unruly Force held so many secrets, and try as she might, she needed guidance. She needed someone to show her the way. She would do anything to give herself over to it. To master it. She needed a teacher.

And that was when she heard of Kylo Ren.

For so long the galaxy had kept the myths and legends of Jedi and Sith as just that - myths and legends. But when the new story of the great Luke Skywalker spread from the Resistance, it caught like wildfire. Luke Skywalker had appeared and saved the Resistance from The First Order. From Kylo Ren. His former student.

A Dark force user.

She needed him immediately. She had to do whatever was necessary to make it happen. That desperation was back.

And she cut it. Folded it. Pinned it.

Until the day she stood in front of him.

He was everything she imagined him to be and more. His dark presence terrified her to her core, and she loved it. He was cold fury incarnate. It was delicious. He surrounded her. Enveloped her. Just with a look. When she couldn’t even see his eyes, them locked behind that beautiful mask.

“You... killed... my Knights,” he remarked.

She swelled with pride. “Every last one.”

The moment she learned about the Great Kylo Ren, Lord Ren, Master of the Knights of Ren, she knew exactly what she needed to do to get his attention. To prove to him that she was worth his time, that she wouldn’t fail him. That his underlings didn’t deserve his eyes. That they were weak. And she was strong.

She took care of the first one quietly. She tracked him down to Coruscant, tailing him in the backways after he had completed his mission. He disrupted Resistance recruitment, blowing up the speakeasy where underground forces spread their propaganda. It proved enough. The Knight had been cutting loose, whoring and drinking for a job well done before he found himself without a head.

She pulled him out of her after that.

And burned the body.

And one by one each of the Knights of Ren went silent. The final members had been the hardest, as they were the most on guard. After failing to destroy them the usual ways, she used their paranoia against them instead. Whispering into their minds that the each of them were the true killers. They finished themselves off then without a hitch.

She bowed low before Lord Ren, on her knee, on her hand; she bowed to no one. But she bowed to him.

“Teach me,” she pleaded to the Dark Master. _Use me. I am worthy. Do with me what you will._

Without a reply from him, her heart was teetering off a cliff. If he said no, then that would be it. She would fall off. Never to rise again. A small crack in her voice seeped through her last word:

“ _Please_.”

And Lord Ren looked down upon her. She... both impressed and disgusted him. The bitterness of Rey was still fresh on his heart. How the scavenger had refused him again and again. How when Snoke died, their connection had faded, and she was lost to him forever now, having closed that door for good.

And he was. Not ready. Not ready to open himself to the potential of another apprentice.

He was, in a word, hurting.

He was hurting. Krys could feel it. The Dark Lord she worshipped from afar-

He was hurting?

This both disgusted her and... made her admire him even more. He was human, just like her. Though a legend, though a Lord, the Dark Side worked through him like it always did best.

Through _pain_.

She didn’t dare speak again. The walls of his heart shot up the moment he felt her peering into his mind. She’d seen enough to know where he stood. Krys was shaking.

“While you are strong,” he admitted, “I have no need for an apprentice now.”

Her world was shaking now. Falling off that cliff. She had come all this way. She had killed herself, and so many others, to make it happen. No. He told her no. No.

Falling.

Falling.

But she didn’t splinter into the ground. No, Krys fist beat against the floor instead.

“The Knights of Ren are dead. I’d say you have more than enough room for an apprentice.”

“I should destroy you now for having done it. That was an act against the First Order.”

“They were weak. They deserved it.”

“I will not teach you.”

“NO.”

Krys’ eyes blazed alive. She was at once on her feet. She cut alive the scythe the felled Knight called Vicrul had used. “You will teach me. I will be your hand. I will be your blade. Use me. Refine me.”

“No.”

He turned to walk away, when he felt her presence close in on him faster than anybody had before.

He spun back around with his lightsaber, placing it between his face and the scythe’s blade before it could cut him.

Krys’ eyes belonged to a madman. She was no longer a thinking creature. Only feeling. Only a medium.

The Dark Side. It was strong with her.

He pushed her off and she rolled to catch herself. Screaming, she launched again with the stolen weapon, and once more he defended himself.

The red crackle would have enraptured her in any other context. But here she could barely register its unholy glow. Here she was no soul, she was only _Force_.

It lit a fire in him. This. This is what he had been looking for. He had felt it in Rey. But she abandoned him. She left him. She didn’t want him. She didn’t even want the Dark Side. Kylo had offered her everything he had, and she rejected him.

But this girl. She reveled in the power, let it flow through her unbridled. She would do anything he said. Unlike Rey. She would let herself be molded. Formed. Perfected. He could feel the desperation. No matter how much she pinned it.

And in that moment of observation, she cut him.

A small spit of blood cast down from his shoulder, and her scythe stuck itself into the ground from the blow. She stilled herself. Out of shock really.

She had. Hurt him? She meant to. But when she actually had?

What was that feeling?

Ren took several steps back before inspecting the cut with his gloved fingers. Indeed, redness dripped down the leather. He considered it.

She caught her breath, still wild, still ready to defend at any moment he decided to hit back, but she waited, mouth agape.

And Kylo spoke to her:

“You would do everything I say.”

“Yes.”

“You will obey my every order, every command, without question.”

“Yes.”

“You would kill your own father if I commanded it.”

“I already have.”

A sharp intake of breath from him was distorted in the breather. A smile curled slowly from Krys’ lips, still gripping her weapon tight.

And Kylo withdrew his weapon.

“I’ll consider it,” he finally answered.

Before Krys could speak back he added:

“I’ll see to it for tonight you have a room while I do so.”

Her eyes widened, mouth parting more. This was the closest, she realized, she would get tonight. From where she stood, she bowed again.

“Thank you, Lord Ren,” she offered, submitting to him fully. This was what he wished. She would abide.

And so he turned from her, disappearing into the darkness of the throne room behind him. She heard a door open and close, and then his being was gone from her.

In not two seconds later, service droids came to her, offering food, clothing, a bath, and more.

She couldn’t believe it. The shock of the entire encounter still beat through her entity. But for now she would let herself rest. She never let herself rest.

So with a hot bath, full dinner, clean clothes, wrapped in blankets in the most beautiful room she had ever entered, she let herself sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Krys will do anything to prove herself to Kylo that she is worthy of being his student. Even if it kills her.

Kylo Ren paced in his quarters.

He shouldn’t have let her live. Now he was without his personal army to dispatch, and that was quite the setback. While he held no love for his Knights - he knew they weren’t so much as _loyal_ as they just respected power - they had been a crack team of elite fighters he depended on for his more specialized tasks. Killing them was in effect an offense against The Supreme Leader himself. He was frustrated by that loss. And one girl should not be worth six men.

He should send in an assassin droid to rid of her in her sleep.

But. In having bested his Knights, she _did_ show her capabilities.

But through treachery. Sneaking around. Not a straight fight. While Krys was cunning, Kylo would also require strength from her.

Except she did cut him.

But that wasn’t enough.

But she was strong with the Force.

Very strong.

Did he want this?

At the end of it all, he was the Supreme Leader. His will was the law. Whatever he wanted is what would happen.

He couldn’t say.

-

Rey ached him in the back of his mind still. He was so angry still towards it all. But he withheld pursuing her. Some small but too powerful part of himself did not want her expended. Somehow, after everything, after killing every close tie that had ever manipulated or betrayed him or abandoned him, something about her stopped him.

Snoke had been right. She was his weakness.

He... he needed to kill her. It was the only way things could be fixed. That he would truly become the king of Darkness.

He hated that fact and he hated himself for hating it.

Fuck.

FUCK.

He cut his desk in two with his lasersword. That was the third one this month. Fuck it.

Krys. That had been what she called herself. Who was to say she would be any different anyway?

Any different from Rey?

Any different from… himself? He had been the one to betray and kill Snoke.

Any different from… Vader? He had been the one to betray and kill Darth Sidious.

Any different from Darth Sidious? He had been the one to betray and kill Dark Plagueis.

He sighed.

Perhaps that was just the destiny of Dark Force users, to be done in by their students. Or almost-students.

But still. The Dark side commanded that there be two Sith, no _more, no less_.

He blitzed the flickering kyber energy blade through his bed.

FUCK.

-

When Krys woke up, something was wrong.

Her dazed consciousness proved delayed in determining exactly _what_ , but in minutes it snapped into place.

She hadn’t dreamt.

Krys ALWAYS dreamed the SAME dream every night. She always relived that vision from the swamp; it stuck with her through the years, whether to inspire her, torment her, bait her, make fun of her, whatever the reason, it had.

What did it mean? What did it mean that it left her? She wasn’t a dark apprentice yet. She wasn’t a Sith. Yet. That was still in the future, which she always took the mirage to mean: that she needed to strive for that goal every waking moment. But with the imagining gone... and Ren not having agreed yet to train her...

Oh Force. He wasn’t going to train her.

That was the only possible scenario. That destiny _changed_. That Lord Ren was so strong and tied into the fates that he changed the course of the future because _he felt like it_.

Or didn’t feel like it, in this case – he didn’t feel like training her.

But _why_? She was perfect, Krys told herself. The opening was there. She’d proven herself. She knew the Jedi and Sith held long traditions of passing on their knowledge. And as far as she knew, he was the only other Dark Force user, so there was no one else besides her.

Wait. Was there someone else?

Blushed fury scrawled across her face then. Her skin boiled. Hair raised on the back of her neck akin to an angry wolf’s. She was already snarling like one too. Her grip on her breakfast plate made it snap in her hands.

She had to confront him.

-

Stomping out of her temp quarters, she extended her feelings to sense the Dark Lord’s presence. To find him. It wasn’t hard. He was not cloaking himself, and he was so powerful that his aura nigh filled the ship, however giant the abode was. In a manner of seconds she found his trail and blazed through to get him.

The starship was huge, however, and ever winding. She could know his general direction, but had to double back through the confusing hallways. In pushing past Stormtroopers, officers, prisoners in chains, she smelled him out until coming upon the command center.

“ _Halt_ ,” came the order of a trooper standing guard. He and one other protected the entrance to the hub. She didn’t halt.

They readied their blasters. “We will not repeat ourselves,” the second trooper affirmed.

But again she didn’t stop.

And so blasters fired. The commotion outside the station drew much attention. In no time at all she was swarmed, and the situation was communicated to the leaders inside. To Ren.

When he came out, he found the two guard Stormtroopers at his feet with crushed helmets.

Krys was kicking and screaming, having been restrained by the onslaught of nearby patrolmen. The whole force of the First Order was upon her. Hux followed Ren’s heels, and upon seeing the sight yelled:

“What is the meaning of this?!”

Krys held no intelligible answers, only continuing to scream, mostly insults and obscenities. Another trooper readied his blaster straight at her skull -

“ _Stop_ ,” commanded Lord Ren. He’d uttered it, stilling the Stormtrooper’s trigger finger, right before it could pull back.

“ _Stop_?” Hux affronted, “She just took out two of our soldiers, why did you-”

“Quiet,” Ren replied to Hux, then redirected his attention to Krys. “What are you trying to pull here?”

Still wrestling with the solider who had her hands pinned, Krys yelled back: “Who else is there?!”

“What?”

“Who else are you training?!”

Ren’s body stiffened. She could feel his sudden tenseness in the Force itself. She knew it. She hit a nerve.

“You are wearing out your welcome, little thing,” Ren threatened. And before she could reply with any snark, Kylo waved his hand before her face, and without explanation, all energy within her went limp, and it all turned black.

This was the second time Krys had slept without dreaming.

When she finally came back to reality, there was no way of knowing how much time had passed. It didn’t help that night cycles and day cycles were indeterminable in space without looking at a clock. And when she surfaced, it was like breaking from the water, having held her breath at the bottom of a pool, before breaching the air her lungs cried for.

She was panting. She had been unconscious but she was panting. And she couldn’t move.

At least her surroundings were familiar. They were back in his throne room, which was clad in black with enormous windows to the universe outside. Without the stars, it would have been difficult to tell where the expanse of the galaxy ended and Lord Ren’s ship began.

He spoke first, sitting on his throne. She struggled against her restraints, having no sense of poise.

“Be grateful,” was the first thing he said, “This is the second time I have spared your life.”

She only growled back. Something was different about these ropes. Why couldn’t she push them off her?

“You want to be my apprentice,” he lowly hissed, “You say you would obey me at every turn, but you affront my army? Barrage me during my work? Can’t manage to sit still for one day?”

She adjusted herself to get up onto her knees as he spoke on: “You’re making a terrible first impression.”

And it was then that Krys realized something.

“I…”

“What?”

“I came to you because… I… I had a vision,” for lack of, rather, “And you weren’t going to train me. I needed to know why. But…” She managed to stand up, despite legs and arms tied, “But if you weren’t going to do so, then what use do you have of me? Why am I still alive?”

Maybe he hadn’t made up his mind. Had she jumped the gun?

She reiterated, “If I have offended you so much, why haven’t you destroyed me?”

His palm clenched his armrest.

“You had a vision?” He countered her question with a question.

She squinted her eyes. She’d pull his same tactic: “You won’t train me because there is someone else?”

His armrest cracked. Fuck, had she’d seen Rey?

Was Krys really this strong in the Force already to determine such knowledge? Untrained?

“What did you see?”

Her mind raced. So she _was_ onto something. But she… she hadn’t _actually_ seen anything. But the important thing was he _thought_ she had. How could she play this to her advantage?

“There is someone else… but… they,” Krys took a wild guess, “they elude you.”

Kylo Ren stood up. It sent a shiver in her bones. God, it was incredible to feel his anger. As much as it terrified her, she basked in it.

“You think you would be any better than her?”

 _Her_? Oh so it was like that, huh.

Something clicked in her head. “Let me face her. I will _prove_ I am better.”

A moment passed. Then Kylo Ren was laughing.

He was _laughing_. With it altered through his mask, it was truly an awful, delicious, horrible sound.

He shook his head. “You are amusing, I’ll give you that.”

Krys’ brows knit. What did this man want? He had said no, then maybe, then for all intents and purposes no again. Siths only dealt in absolutes. But he seemed so… undecided. Unsure.

She could feel the conflict inside him.

“What can I do to convince you?” Krys’ submitted. She bowed to him. Her final plea. “Please, Lord Ren. I just need one chance.”

Kylo sighed. He looked her over; she was dressed in straight black, the most basic clothes available on the First Order ship, the ones that Stormtroopers wore underneath their armor. He felt her determination. She was unruly, but only to gain his tutelage. And if she ever defied him again, he could just break her. Simple. The most important question really was this:

Could he see her becoming his undoing?

In the best way possible?

Could this girl rise one day to take his place? Would she have it in her to assume his level of power? She was no Rey. But she was something else. Could she lead and command armies? Could she be his weapon with which he’d take down star systems?

Could she kill him?

Her eyes met his. A blazing fire lay underneath them. He didn’t have to probe far to know this was her life’s end goal. There was nothing else for her.

But she did have rage. Lots of that. If rejected, if left to her own devices, she very well might join the Resistance in pure spite. That could prove annoying. So if he didn’t take her under his wing, it would be best to unmake her.

Well, the next step was clear then.

“We will have a test,” he announced, walking to the edge of the steps to his throne. He’d kill two birds with one stone. This would settle the issue with finality. “Survive, and you’ll become my apprentice.”

She upshot from her bowed position, eyes practically glowing. Adrenaline pumped through her; at a moments’ notice she was fully engaged. She was nigh smiling. “What is the test?”

“Resist,” he informed her.

And before another word could exit her mouth, her world came crashing down.

Her ears were screaming, her vision was bleary; she could be yelling, but she wouldn’t know; she couldn’t tell from the utter intensity flooding her being. Everything was on fire. Her blood was now lava. Her legs and arms didn’t exist except to feel pain. Her chest held infernos. Her head was going to combust. Every inch of her being only knew hell.

But the worst part was the visions.

He dredged up the hidden parts of herself. The fear and uncertainty from living on the streets came washing back. The anxiety from where her next meal would come from, how on earth she was going to become who she knew he was meant to be. Having no one, no kindness; the only people to interact with her were perfect strangers looking to take everything she had. Her clothes, her money, her innocence.

And even deeper, the weakness she denied. The tiny, tiny voice that told her she was nothing. Nobody. Alone. She would never be given guidance; she would only push forward in mystery. No one would see her value. How incredible she was. No one would cherish her strength, would utilize her to her potential.

Her potential. That she would never realize her potential.

That was her greatest fear.

He held onto it.

And she pushed back.

She couldn’t hear herself, but she was reeling back with, “ _NO._ ”

Touching these points of her mind only stirred her fury. She rejected this nothingness. She wasn’t nothing. She was the most incredible being in the universe, if only someone could see it. If only he could see it. _Everyone_ needed to see it.

 _SEE IT_ , she shoved back into him.

And he stepped back, aghast. He literally meant to kill her. Killing her would’ve solved everything. She surely would not have been strong enough to stop him, which meant she didn’t deserve his teachings, which meant he didn’t have to think about it. And then she would not have been a threat to his plans, either.

But now.

She writhed on the floor. Blood poured out her nose, out her ears, from her mouth. She coughed. There was definitely internal bleeding. If she wasn’t seen soon, she would pass away from complications, guaranteed.

Her eyes looked up at him, the whites of them entirely bloodshot. She stared unblinkingly. Something otherworldy drove her. No. It _was_ her. She drove herself. And she tapped into the darkness only to amplify her power.

He dismissed his hand, and the pressure entirely released. She immediately started choking on her own blood, spitting the redness over his spotless floors.

She’d resisted him.

She pushed him out.

He clenched his fist.

“ _MEDIC_!” he called.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Even if it kills her.
> 
> Find me on Tumblr at @KyloWithAZukoArc for Reylo content!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Krys survived. She was alive. She was alive. Everything hurt. But who cared about that. Led by Kylo Ren, she was going to become a Sith.

Everything hurt. When she woke up, everything still hurt. In a half waking state, she registered the white light blaring down from the ceiling of a medical wing. That distinctive clean, sanitized smell of air flooded her nose, as did the _beep...beep...beep_ of the vitals monitor in her ears.

“Patient 906773 is conscious,” announced a med droid in his robotic cadence. Krys began to intake the sheer amount of needles embedded in her - through her wrists, ankles, near her eyes, her abdomen, her chest, the back of her neck, and... god she felt something like a crown around her head. Were they all...

“What is this?” her voice croaked to anyone listening. Her heart monitor was beginning to spike. She hated needles.

“Bacta injections,” replied a nurse, coming into Krys’ line of sight. Krys attempted to move, but quickly found she couldn’t. Every part of her was tied down. “Keep still,” the nurse went on, “This is delicate work.”

Krys just took a deep breath then instead. “What are these...”

“You had an extensive amount of internal damage. We’ve done our best to cycle the healing solution throughout your system to repair it. You’re very, very lucky to be alive.”

Krys blinked. And blinked again.

She was alive.

SHE WAS ALIVE.

She’d endured! She withstood him. She _refused_ him.

She’d proven herself. She won. She _won_.

She...

She moaned. She felt so stiff, and the restraints rubbed her skin unpleasantly. Not to mention she also had a wicked headache, and her ears were ringing.

The nurse performed tests to check up on Krys’ status - the usual bases like making sure her pupils dilated, that she could near a range of different sounds from different angles and distances, additionally, prodding her every which way to check that her nerve endings still fired.

Then came the questions. Asking Krys her name, her birthday, her home planet, basic info. Though the nurse and nothing to cross reference its validity, Krys answered in turn.

“What is the last thing you remember?”

“Lord Ren. And pain.”

The nurse nodded sagely. “You’re recovering remarkably well from it,” they commented. Krys got the notion she wasn’t the first patient to be seen from Kylo’s Force attack.

“How long have I been in here?”

“Three weeks.”

“ _Three weeks?!_ ”

How much had happened while she was out?

“Yes, we had to keep you under to make sure nothing became unnecessarily stressed. I expect you are quite sore by this point.”

Oh yeah. Very sore.

Krys inquired: “When can I move?”

“Figuring that out now.”

The med droid then performed a scan on Krys while she lied on the bed. Its sensors shot through her; she couldn’t feel them, but boy was it a weird, invasive experience.

Soon a 3D rendering of Krys appeared as a holo for the nurse to examine. They called in the doctor too, for his eyes to verify all was good for them to take out the needles.

So many needles.

But who cared about that.

She was alive.

And she was going to become a Sith.

-

When Kylo had received the news his new... student... was awake, he hesitated to visit. An entire 24 hour standard cycle had gone by now. Perhaps a part of him wished she’d died in the hospital.

But he was being foolish. What was wrong with him? A perfectly capable and willing candidate had literally appeared on his doorstep after the last one had so quickly shut the door on him. The new girl had proven herself - twice over, no less - and he’d given his word. He would be an idiot to not take her under his wing.

He should be jumping at the chance to teach her. So why was he dragging his feet?

Well, he knew obviously _why_.

But he needed to get the fuck over it.

In fact, this could be his own way of revenge against... Rey. To show her and himself and everyone else that he didn’t need her. That he deserved the title of Supreme Leader because he didn’t have time for petty things such as heartbreak.

He readied his mask. It was time.

-

“ _Apprentice_.”

He gauged her reaction. Kylo used the title specifically in greeting Krys, who now was without (most) needles as she still lie on the hospital bed. Thankfully, the restraints were gone as well, but she was still on bedrest with intermittent exercise.

She swelled with pride. If the giant smile didn’t give it away, the heart monitor spike told of her joy.

“Master.”

Her teacher stood tall and domineering and dark over the side of the bed; it always impressed her how little he had to do to come off so intimidating.

“You are... recovering well?”

He... was asking her how she was doing? He came to visit and asked how she was doing?

“Yes, Master, thank you. I still have tinnitus, but they are working on it.”

“I hear your heart is having trouble, too.”

A slight of fear bashed against her. Of course the staff would tell him the full situation; doubtless he would know of the arrhythmia, the numbness in her feet, the beating in her skull. But she hated him knowing. More so, she hated she wasn’t back up to full speed.

What if she never fully recovered? Would he call her a defect and retract his offer?

Another jump in the monitors.

“I’ll be in top form soon,” she assured. “This is nothing.”

It was clear to everyone present she was afraid. He replied,

“The staff here is very good. They brought you back from the brink of death,” he nodded to the nurse, “If you require robotic enhancements to perform your duties, we are equipped to provide it.” He straightened his back. “You’ll be fine.”

Was this him... Lord Ren, being... encouraging?

She centered herself. He was merely informing her of the circumstances. She had forgotten tales of ilk like General Grievous and Darth Vader who had been enhanced. If she was a head floating in a tank, she’d be useful. Taken care of.

She’d be taken care of.

That was nice.

“And you, Lord Ren, you are... fine?”

She awkwardly tossed out his same inquiry of wellness. Was that crossing the line?

The Supreme Leader cleared his throat.

“The First Order is operating more or less at full capacity. We have secured another system since you went under, which is a big victory.”

“That’s great.”

He nodded.

“When you are discharged, we’ll begin your training.”

These were to be his parting words for now. Krys beamed.

“Yes, Master.”

-

Another week passed before Krys was entirely healed up. She was more than anxious to exit the wing and get started on her training. The past days had been torture for her to just lie there and do nothing while her destiny awaited.

Her mind raced during it all. What would be her first lesson? Crushing things with her mind? Lightsaber training? Doing whatever that _thing_ was he did?

She shivered. Whatever Kylo Ren had done, it completely wrecked her for a month. Even with the First Order’s top of the line care, she took so long to heal. Could she one day do that to her enemies?

She licked her lips. She couldn’t wait.

-

Kylo Ren did not visit during the remainder of her time in the wing. For him, every waking moment was filled to the brim with First Order business and making lesson plans. He wished he had more time to prepare. But he supposed it would have been the same with Rey, too.

Ugh. Why did everything always come back to her? Stop thinking about her, dammit.

Anyway, he finally received the news that Krys had been discharged with a clean bill of health. He’d gone so hard on her. He realized that, especially with her just leaving the hospital, he should break her in slowly this time. In a way, he had to, as there was only so much time he could devote to her outside his duties.

Even though there was so much to cover.

But they had time.

 _My Apprentice_. He mused. Perhaps she would grow on him.

She better. He needed to forget.

-

Krys, upon being led to her new permanent living quarters, was given notice that her training would begin at 0500 in the morning. She was to report to room 7B-H, the private dojo on board. To show up in the training wear provided and bring a change of clothes for business, also provided.

She was so excited she hardly got any sleep.

And once again, she didn’t dream.

She awoke before her alarm and wolfed down breakfast. She didn’t eat much, nervous he may have her train so hard she would throw it all up, but she wanted to have enough energy to make it through the day.

And finally, 0500 came. She actually had been waiting outside the doors since 0430, having left stupid early to make sure she could find the place on the winding pathways. She didn’t realize a droid could simply lead her the way until one had stopped and asked if she required assistance.

Anyway, it was 0500. She entered.

Krys found a man sitting in robes cross-legged in the middle of the dimly lit dojo. Clothed in black, his head was bowed, his breathing steady. She felt nothing from him. And then she focused hard. Only after that could she detect a faint Force signature coming from him.

A familiar one.

Oh Force. It was Kylo Ren. Without his mask.

She had to catch her breath.

“Apprentice,” he called to her, without looking up. “Sit.”

Her heart leapt into her throat. A moment of registration later, and she jumped at the chance to join him. Outwardly though, she calmly paced over and copied his form. He breathed in a controlled manner.

Krys mentioned, her voice low, “I didn’t sense you outside.”

“I am silencing my energy. Hiding it.”

“You can do that?”

He didn’t acknowledge that. Instead he asked,

“What do you know of the Force?”

-

Krys explained to him the very, very little she knew. She’d acquired virtually no understanding of it outside of her own experiences. The vision in the woods, how that drove her. How the Dark Side would come upon her, how it was fueled through pain.

“Yes,” he affirmed. “You must let it flow through you.”

“It’s the most amazing feeling...,” Krys contemplated, balling her fist and releasing it. She stared at her hand, needing that next hit. Could she get it today?

She asked, “What exactly is the Force?”

The stories of Jedi and Sith told of incredible powers of Light and Dark. She had never encountered the Light. But the Dark. It called to her.

Kylo relayed it all.

How the Force was everywhere, surrounding and binding and penetrating all things. It was the tension between life and death, heat and cold, Light and Dark. The balance.

As he spoke, she couldn’t help but be mesmerized. His words felt so weighty and wise. And further than that, seeing Kylo Ren’s face, sitting so close, him answering her questions. It felt like the most intimate thing she had ever lived.

She cherished this moment. She grasped onto it. And in knowing she had this to look forward to for many years to come... if she was the crying type, she might have cried.

Instead, she was charged up. Hanging on every word of her Master.

She needed to broach more on the subject of the Force as a whole. It might be a risk. But fuck it.

“May I ask a question?”

“You may.”

“It’s about... the Light Side.”

Kylo was unusually calm, she noticed, for her to be asking this. “What about it?” he led.

“I just... I know nothing about it. It’s never spoken to me. But one must know their enemy. Can you tell me more of it?”

Kylo was glad he suppressed his signature. He’d decided the night before he would make this a habit around her. Otherwise, she might have detected his nervousness towards the subject.

The Light had called to him last night.

Did she know that? Was she toying with him?

No. He had silenced his energy long before it happened. She couldn’t know.

This was an honest question.

So, paranoia sedated, he went on with it.

“While the path to the Dark Side is fear... anger... hate... suffering...,” he philosophized, her nodding slowly, “The Light Side focuses on peace. Detachment.”

She laughed in contempt. “Peace is overrated,” she stated.

And Kylo had to smile.

-

The first two hours of her training utterly flew by. Krys was surprised at the lack of pain and suffering she’d expected for their first lesson. Instead, he merely lectured and answered all her questions.

They just... talked.

And soon it was time for him to report to his post.

“My duties as Supreme Leader come first,” he informed her. “And as my Apprentice, your training in the Force is only part of your responsibility. The other half is serving the First Order.”

This, for some reason, surprised her. She felt very stupid for it. It seemed obvious. The Supreme Leader could not drop his duties just to lead her in exercises and tests all day. He was a busy man. And she was to be his right hand.

Which meant becoming an instrument for the First Order.

Which was something she was completely fine with.

Kylo finished his orders: “Get dressed. You will shadow me on all my war meetings and agendas. Absorb everything you can. But do not speak. If there is time after, we will train more.”

Krys thought about it. So really, Sith training was going to occupy a fraction of her time. Learning the ins and outs of the First Order was going to be her real task.

Which was _not_ what she signed up for.

But she had no choice.

She was to submit to her lord. So she did so.

“Yes, Master,” she bowed, and scampered off to change.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TRAINING HAS BEGUN!
> 
> Find me at @KyloWithAZukoArc on Tumblr for Reylo content!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The learning curve for an Apprentice is very rough, and Kylo is a very strict teacher. But he isn't perfect either.

Kylo had donned his mask again. That was to be expected. Gone was the personable teacher, and back was the Supreme Leader who ruled by fear.

She walked behind him, now herself outfitted in black and white, form fitted and wearing a cowl like him. Krys felt sharp. Sharp as a knife ready to cut any fingers in its way.

But she was to remain silent, she reminded herself. Just listen and learn.

The hulking dark mass in front of her gave great inspiration. She took her Master’s cue, walking through, staring straight ahead, making no eye contact, sure in stride.

When they arrived to their destination, a full conference room of every high ranking official in the First Order, she tried to keep her face as neutral as possible.

She wasn’t actually expecting to be introduced.

“All. My new Apprentice joins us today,” The Supreme Leader motioned to her. All eyes had already flitted to the new presence in the room. “She will be observing. If you must refer to her, call her Krys Ren. Get her a seat.”

Krys could could have launched into the next planet.

She was a Ren now. He called her it. In front of everyone.

Holy shit.

“So the troublemaker lives,” Hux dryly bat. “Hope she’s worth it.”

Krys balled her fist, already about to kill a man, but reminded herself to not make a scene on her first day.

“Silence, General,” Kylo retorted in her stead.

By this point, a chair had been brought to Kylo’s end of the table by a droid. She walked with him and sat at his right hand.

She was already enjoying herself.

Ren then opened the meeting. “To business then.”

Despite their great victory in securing the Bazztek system, it did not mean they could relax. The Coldurs did not take kind to their trade routes being cut off, and they had great connections with the surrounding systems. They could potentially rally their neighbors to their cause to resecure the routes. Worse of all, sources had reported them to be Resistance-friendly.

Holos lit from the table to display starmaps and the major players. Faces from across the table offered their opinion: More propaganda was needed; a coupe was required; they should hold the routes for hostage until they submitted to the First Order too.

But also came the reply:

“We may have lost Starkiller Base, but the New Republic’s main planet hubs have been decimated. So I do not believe these worms would dare try to fight us. Besides, only a remnant of the Resistance still lives...”

Hux cut in: “Well, they could have been _completely_ ridden, but...”

Not this again.

“The point is that, truly, The First Order is in the best position it has been in its lifetime. Our opposition has been thrown into chaos, been dealt a huge blow. There are only rats left to be rid of.”

Krys could testify, though she wouldn’t speak. She could testify that the galaxy felt very low on hope to defy the First Order. Most were jumping into their arms, looking for some semblance of control be introduced to the world. And the rest just wanted the war to end, period.

Truly, the First Order merely had last sweeps to do. Remaining systems to convince. And then it was a manner of truly connecting the galaxy to become a well oiled machine.

The First Order wanted just that, order. To unite the galaxy so trade could flourish, then everyone could get what they needed when they needed it. There would be equality.

As long as everyone was exactly the same.

As long as everyone obeyed the rules.

Everything would be fine for them.

As long as they submitted.

That was the philosophy at least.

In the day to day, however, managing such a monumental goal was, in a phrase, a lot.

And such meetings were her day.

And such times were her first months.

In starting, Krys’ experience was a blur: a buzz of names and words she had no reference for. She did not know the first thing about Katanu II of the Ganuh system. She did not know the rankings of the First Order. Was a Captain or Commander higher? There were TIE Fighters and transporters and ships in the Resurgent-class, whatever that meant.

Truthfully? It was confusing. It was overwhelming. She had so many questions.

But she would learn.

She was a shadow at Lord Ren’s side. Krys had the front row seat to his ruling. Teaching. He was merciless. Hellbent. Crushing. To his enemies as much to his underlings.

She was terrified of him and she loved it.

In the mornings, she would rise early to meet her master. And when she was lucky, they would meet after a late dinner to resume the morning’s lessons.

The days were long. Overwhelming. Frustrating. Exhausting.

But important. Enlightening. Strengthening.

And today, he would throw her into the lion’s den.

She shook, terrified, in the middle of the sim room. Her legs had been bound, and she sat on the floor with them tucked under her. Chained to the spot.

What he asked of her. She’d never been able to do it to this level on command.

Krys did her best to hide her emotions. She didn’t look at her master. Tried to suppress her signature. She swallowed hard, staring at the giant double doors to the back of the room. It didn’t matter.

“You’re afraid,” he said.

He knew. He always knew.

Kylo paced beside her. His giant footsteps filled her heightened senses.

“Use it,” he would say, “Use your fear. Feel it. Turn it into fight. Channel it. Breathe.”

She closed her eyes and took a large intake of breath. She waited for him to confirm she was ready, like he always did.

Today he didn’t confirm it.

Her eyes were still closed when he threw the switch. Suddenly the gates shot open. A hulk of machinery entered through the doors. Its arm slammed against the floor as a giant hammer; she could feel the vibrations through her shins. The tankish bot must have weighed eight tons. And she had no weapons to speak of.

She felt so small.

Kylo Ren stepped far back from the scene and folded his arms.

The hulk approached.

Krys’ first instinct of course was to struggle, but was quickly reminded that would do nothing. Her mind went blank as the horrific blaring of metal against metal clanged throughout her being.

It would be within range soon.

Krys knew there was no way she would be strong enough as is to stop it head on, even if that was what her Master wanted.

So in a stroke of sanity, she waited.

She waited for it to begin reeling up its arm hammer to slap down again. And on its come up, she stretched out both her hands.

She focused.

A breath like the one before a scream pressurized her lungs. This was the only shot she had against this thing. It had to work.

For her sake.

She swirled the Force around the end of the hammer as it raised its might against her, all the way until its axis fell slightly behind itself. She emphasized its heaviness, using its own momentum pulling back. Krys fought against the hydraulic strength that was about to spring forward, and instead worked to weigh it down.

It was like a blood vessel was going to pop in her temple. She strained, feeling the cold weight of the bludgeon like it was in her very palms.

But arti-gravity was on her side.

With a scream, she gave one last lug of a tug downward in the Force, and the bolts and springs gave way.

A terrible crashing came behind the hulk. And it fell backwards with it in tow.

The arm lay broken off now, and it had no way to crawl back onto its feet.

So it powered down.

Krys gasped. Face down practically in the floor, the pangs of adrenaline beat against her. She didn’t even feel victory. Or a rush of power. Or even safe.

Just not dead.

Master Ren walked up behind her.

“Good work,” he spoke.

And it was like a taut string had been given leeway within her.

That was the first compliment he’d ever paid her.

Though he quickly followed it up with:

“Though wasn’t exactly what I was looking for; you always go for treachery over brute strength when you can.”

She didn’t have the spirit to talk back even if she wanted to. But he ended his thoughts with, “However. You did pass the test. That will be all for tonight then. Apprentice.”

He motioned to service droids to release her as he walked away. A moment later and the hard, freezing links were off her person.

She didn’t rise.

She waited until the Supreme Leader was gone.

Then curled into the floor and held herself.

Krys gritted her teeth and fought back the tears.

It had been endless.

The emptiness that awashed her from the retreat of fight-or-flight left her wrecked. This constant stream of life-or-death scenarios was beginning to take its toll.

They didn’t take days off.

She was beginning to crack.

A week later in the dojo, she cursed. She just couldn’t get the move right. He had given her a wooden saber to practice with. Parry, parry, jab, uplift, jab. That is all she had to do. So why couldn’t she nail it?

Her parry was wild, all over the place, her jabs were sloppy, the uplift weak. The harder she tried, the worse she got. She thought just tapping into the Dark Side, fueling her frustration, would make it better. But that was all she had been doing. And it wasn’t coming out.

“Apprentice,” he called out, observing her. She was already sweating, but she broke out even more from his call. She was fucking up, she couldn’t get it right. It was inexcusable. He was going punish her. She had to get it right.

“I’ll get it,” she pleaded back, “Please, I just need more time.”

“You’re exhausted,” he said plainly.

And she stopped.

He never acknowledged weakness without a negative connotation. Here it was just... said.

He sighed, “I am too.”

The last of the Resistance had, once again, evaded their tailing. The annoying story of Luke continued to inspire small but persistent pockets of Resistance soldiers. Their rallying cry being that destiny was on their side. It gave him a headache.

Krys was left stunned. Wordless by his admission.

Her Master said, “Let’s call it.”

They had just started 30 minutes ago. Normally they would go for at least another hour.

But after months of starting her day at 0400 and not getting back until 2200, she begrudgingly admitted to herself she was grateful for the early night.

She went to gather her things, put away her training saber, when, out of no where, Kylo produced a bottle of Corellian whiskey.

“What?” she noted.

He sat himself down beside the wall, leaning against it.

“Do you drink?”

“I. Uh. Not since getting here. But you...?”

“Occasionally. If you care to join me, you may.”

His eyes looked so tired when he said it.

Krys just didn’t even know what to think. But finally she peeped,

“Of course.”

Kylo Ren ordered his droids to bring glasses and ice as she sat beside him. A comfortable distance. One she hoped was respectful enough to drink with the Supreme Leader. On the floor.

He pressed the back of his head to the wall. His temples throbbed, his neck ached. And then she noticed the most curious thing.

Like a stilled pool had a pebble dropped in it, Krys could feel his waves in the Force. He’d dropped his shields. She realized this was the first time in months she had felt his aura. Felt _him_.

She had almost forgotten what it felt like.

But in this moment it was entirely different to the Supreme Leader on his throne.

It felt beaten. Tired. And as always, pained. But there was no ferocity in it. Merely the need to rest. Suspend.

Releasing it helped his headache immensely. Keeping his signature bottled was always an extra stress on top of everything else.

She had already forgotten the rest of the world when the droids appeared with their drinkware.

He poured him one, and then her.

She took it with more gratefulness than was appropriate to convey.

“Thank you,” was all she said.

He nodded. And they tiredly slipped.

It was the smoothest alcohol she had ever had in her life. She expected a great fire on her tongue, but only a gentle flame came.

“This is great,” she said.

His eyes looked far off to a horizon she couldn’t see. “It’s my favorite.”

She felt layers there. A sadness in the Force. Was he really okay with her feeling all these parts of him?

She wouldn’t pry.

They drank in silence. Just letting the waves of the Force calmly vibrate in the air. Before long, they had both finished their first glass. He poured them another.

“I’ve been meaning to ask,” Krys said, breaking the silence.

“Yes?”

“What does the name ‘Ren’ mean?”

He swirled the melting cube in the tumbler.

Kylo recited: “‘The Ren does not stop to worry what it is burning, or the right or wrong of it, or the goals it might achieve. The Ren just is. It lives and it consumes. And it doesn’t apologize. It is just its nature and nothing else.’”

He took another sip in contemplation. She waited for his next words.

“That was what the former Master of the Knights of Ren always said. Well,” his ice cracked, “Before I killed him.”

He took another drink.

She gazed in awe. So that was how he had become their leader?

Ren, internally, was cursing himself. He had taken this name which threw away all conscience, all care. Only living to serve itself. But the Light always tugged back at him. It made it feel wrong.

Goddamn the Light.

Krys spoke: “It is an honor then to share that name.”

“You had your good death. Several, actually.”

“‘Good deaths?’”

Kylo nodded. “That was the prerequisite to becoming a Knight. In your case... You killed your family.”

Krys blinked back the sudden, potent history. He never spoke about such things, though she knew he had seen it all during that first... test.

“You loved them,” he stated.

“I... did,” she replied.

He finished his drink.

And she decided to would live by the name of Ren for all eternity.

She had her good deaths. She wanted what she wanted. She got it however possible. She let the Dark Side consume her. The burning.

Ren. She was Ren.

She clenched her glass and no longer felt tired.

But she did feel tipsy.

“Ha...” Her cheeks flushed warmly. And she looked over to him, lost in her own high.

She was drunk enough to ask:

“Who is she?”

“Who?” he tossed back.

“You know. Her.”

A sudden spike in the waves sobered her up quick. Kylo hadn’t moved. Hadn’t done anything. But the tremor she felt reminded her of death. She quickly apologized,

“I’m sorry, forgive me, Master, I spoke out of turn.”

He sat there like a fire burning its fuel. She bowed to the floor.

“Forgive me. Please.”

And the fire quieted.

Entirely.

She couldn’t feel him whatsoever.

He stood up with his cup and shook his head. “It’s been a long day. Get some sleep,” he bid.

And more apologies were caught in her throat, but she could not wish them to him, as he was already out the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WHO IS SHE?
> 
> Find me on Tumblr at @KyloWithAZukoArc for more Reylo content!


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Krys burns for knowledge about the Force User who broke Kylo's heart. And it may be time she got her own lightsaber.

Despite the exhaustion, despite the inebriation, sleep didn’t come easy for her that night.

She only relinquished to it in determination to see him faster.

Yet in the morning, he wasn’t in the dojo.

The service droid informed her, “The Supreme Leader has left instructions to practice your forms today. He specifically commanded to pick up from where you were last night and to ‘Be ready to showcase your move sets upon his return tonight.’”

Krys snorted through her nose.

This was not an unusual thing - after showing her new techniques, Kylo tended to leave her to practice. But after last night, she couldn’t help but feel like it was punishment.

It gave her time alone to think.

Too much time.

She took up a practice saber, hoping it would distract her enough. But still her mind raced.

Her initial thoughts blazed in anger towards herself. She fucked up. She parried. She pissed him off. She jabbed. She should have never asked him about it again. She uplifted. And she only wished to be back by his side. She reset.

Her next thoughts were, What the hell is his problem?

Parry.

Who was this person who completely tore him up?

Jab.

Who could even get to the Supreme leader like that?

Uplift.

Who _was_ she?

Reset.

What had that girl _done_?

She must have been a long time companion who betrayed him, Krys surmised. The Apprentice bet Kylo had already been training that girl, perhaps in secret, until one day she couldn’t take it anymore, and left him.

Or was killed.

 _So, a weakling,_ Krys thought to herself. _That girl must have been weak._

But... if they _had_ left him, that would mean a death sentence. To abandon the First Order, to abandon the Supreme Leader. A death sentence.

Wait a minute.

Krys paused.

She looked over to the clock - yes, perfect timing - then to service droid, commanding it: “I’m hungry. Prepare my lunch.”

“Yes, Madam Ren.” It bowed to her, then dismissed itself.

Krys had to act fast. She ran over to the wall, opening a panel that hid a screen. For aesthetic, it was covered, but for practicality, there was always computer access nearby in the rooms of the Supreme Leader.

Krys didn’t have much time. She hoped she could find it quickly.

It was possible Kylo could look back through her last logs, but he was such a busy man and had no reason to suspect anything, so this would be safe enough.

She looked through the First Order’s bounties.

Okay, this girl in question could be dead, that was a possibility. So she needed to search all them, not just the open ones.

Thousands upon thousands came up.

An involuntary breath of air went through her lungs. Oh well. What could she narrow for now?

‘Female identifying.’

That took down the list to a remaining one third, very good.

The girl had been human, right? Would Kylo Ren get bent up over a non-human? She guessed it had been a romantic thing... Well, there was no telling what Kylo was into. She left that off for now.

Oh.

Wait.

Duh.

‘Force sensitive.’

The list dropped to fewer than a dozen.

Most were deceased from events about fifteen years ago. That didn’t match the timeline at all. She could ignore those.

That brought the list down to two.

The first being General Leia of the Resistance.

Krys gasped. The General had been Force sensitive? Ren read the bio, and her mind was utterly blown.

Leia had been twins with the Great Luke Skywalker?

Kylo Ren’s former Master?

Holy shit. Holy shit.

How was she just now finding this out? Did everyone at the First Order know this?

Well, if they did, she surmised they must not have spoken about it for fear of repercussions. The Supreme Leader’s personal backstory was not something you wanted to spread. Your tongue could get cut out.

While Krys still wanted to investigate it more, there was absolutely no way General Leia had been trained by Kylo. She could ignore that.

Which only left.

Rey.

Rey <no last name>.

The most famous bounty in the galaxy.

Krys almost lost her balance.

Rey was wanted for killing Snoke. The former Supreme Leader. Krys could look only at the girl’s face for the longest time. It held a look of subtle determination. Like Rey didn’t care if you were four times her size, you were going down.

Hang on. Had Kylo trained Rey the Bounty?

What the _fuck_?

But that information was as far as she could get - a _beepbeepbeep_ at the door had to tear Krys away. Quickly, she logged out of the bounty window, instead pulling up a tab for tomorrow’s meeting agenda.

“Portioned salmeen with green sprouts and potate, with water to drink, Madam Ren,” announced the droid.

“Thank you, I will be there shortly.”

The droid placed the tray down at a corner in the room, as Krys continued to appear busy.

_Oh my god holy fucking shit._

Krys composed her face as much as possible. Service Droids were programmed to detect discomfort, so she had to contain herself. She partook her food as she inwardly freaked:

_Holy FUCKING SHIT._

No WONDER the girl - Rey - had been a touchy subject. No WONDER Kylo had not wanted an apprentice anymore. After the complete disaster of the last one, Krys couldn’t blame him for that sore spot.

Krys had thought the girl - Rey - must have been weak, but clearly, she wasn’t. She had defeated Snoke. There was no way that happened from a weak one.

But there was something Krys had gotten right.

Rey had left him.

Because she was a traitor.

And continued to elude him.

Krys stabbed her food with her utensil.

“Is everything alright, ma’am?” asked the droid.

“Oh, yes, uh, just channelin’ the Dark Side, you know how it goes.”

“I do not, actually.”

“Uh yeah well, okay.”

Krys swallowed a giant bite hard. Then her eyes squinted.

Now hold on. There was no way Kylo had an Apprentice while Snoke had been alive.

“Sith only came in two, _no more, no less_ ,” he had once told her.

So this made no sense.

The timeline.

If there was someone before Krys, Kylo would have had to have taken them in RIGHT after Snoke died. And then they betrayed him, or something.

But... there was no one else registered on the bounty list. Rey was the only one who met the qualifications. And there was no way Rey would have killed the then-Supreme Leader, and _then_ become Kylo’s apprentice and _then_ left.

Even if that _had_ happened, it would have gone down in such a short period of time. Which did not add up.

 _What the fucking hell?_ Krys thought.

Who the bloody hell was this woman?

And what in the shit happened?

-

Kylo returned late that night.

He cast off his mask with a sigh, handing it to the droid, finding Krys.

And two broken practice sabers on the floor.

She was still batting a training dummy with another. She did not stop to greet him.

So he just watched.

Her energy was ferocious. She completely batted the training dummy. Parry, parry, JAB, uplift, JAB.

For final measure, she smacked the dummy across the head with a strong lateral strike.

And broke the third saber.

She panted for a moment.

It was then she finally turned around to face her master. She was completely covered in sweat from head to toe. The heartbeat of her Force signature bashed against his soul, and she threw the splintered hilt at his feet with the others.

She stared him down, his countenance unreadable.

He didn’t say anything. Until -

“Good.”

And that was all.

A split of blood lay on the sword handle. Her hands were battered and bruised. She couldn’t care less.

She fought every urge to rush up to him and demand an explanation of everything.

But there was no way that wouldn’t erupt into a giant fight. A fight that she would not win.

So she bit her tongue. And went on like everything was normal,

“What’s next?”

-

What was next she found unexpected.

To clarify, she _had_ expected it, but not so soon.

She sat next to Kylo in his Command Shuttle. Today he did not pilot; others did for him, and joining them on their travels were bands of Stormtroopers for security. The troopers sat in the back, separated. The blur of hyperspace passed before them. The way the warped light cast itself through the cockpit reminded her of a fireplace, how it shadowed and flickered.

“Approach to destination, ETA 30 minutes,” called the pilot.

She would have bounced in her seat if she were alone.

When the hyperspeed broke, it was the smoothest transition she’d ever felt on a ship. Any she had experienced before were so clunky she thought their vessel might snap in half.

In any case. The planet opened before them. A beautiful blue cascaded its entirety, with only some small pockets of green.

They flew over it, wrapping around the celestial body. Her eyes were glued to its wonders.

“I never thought there was this much blue in the whole galaxy.”

Kylo said nothing.

Now entering its atmosphere, the ride came slightly bumpier. Breaking through the clouds though, they found their destination. What appeared to merely be a giant rock in the middle of the ocean. Perhaps it had been a volcano at some point. Maybe it still was.

In closing in on it, she could tell the face of the rock had been carved into ancient architecture. There were larger than life statues, weather beaten and dissolved from time, that “guarded” its entrance.

They landed right underneath one. It was covered in marble-like robs and held its hand out in the most familiar manner.

“The place has been scouted beforehand,” informed Kylo, “but we will have to wait until the troopers make another sweep first regardless.”

Krys flapped back into her seat and whined.

“What, are you a child now?” he teased.

Krys folded her arms. “You beat patience out of me a long time ago.”

He smiled underneath the mask.

-

It was the most incredible sight she had ever seen. More beautiful than space travel. More impressive than any holo could have prepared her for, or any scroll for that matter.

The Kyber crystal cave.

She basked in it.

The crystals shew colorless as the light bounced and refracted from them. She could feel the energy - a calm, peaceful, even relaxing presence.

She was too excited to feel peace though.

Krys looked back to her Master for the go ahead.

He merely nodded.

And so a coy and devilish smile splayed across her face, and it was off to the races.

“Go to where you are called” is all he had informed her. He would stay back while she ventured off into the caverns. It was for her soul to sing to it.

Krys spun around wildly looking at the different formations. There were giant protrusions of gemstone, as well as tiny evolutions like sand she walked over. Her full attention was devoted to the abandoned - or arrested - location. Deeper and deeper she went into the cave.

Until she couldn’t see anything.

Until it was dark and the light from outside had faded away.

Something was calling to her.

But she couldn’t see anything. She didn’t even bring a light. But it didn’t matter. She closed her eyes and gently felt her way through.

She was both eager, yet also wanting to sustain the moment.

A tiny, tiny heartbeat of energy echoed through the massive earthen hole. She honed in on it.

Until she was hunting it.

Something snapped into place in her, and she could have purred like a panther. Could have growled like a tiger.

She pawed out her goings forth. Smelling it out.

 _Where are you,_ she called to it herself, _show yourself to me._

And like a star in the expanse of the eternal, she saw it.

Not with her eyes, but something in the Force revealed it. She could have started laughing.

A crystal the size of her palm jutted out from the masses. To her, it was a beacon, a lighthouse, though she couldn’t even see the hands in front of her face.

Her fingers wavered over it, like it was too sacred to touch.

And then she grabbed it.

She heaved to pull it from the mass’ clutches. She seethed at it.

“Give yourself to me,” she said aloud, “You belong to _me._ Now _come_.”

And the crystal, if it had a soul, if it had emotions, was scared.

Using the Force now to surround it and penetrate its ends, she snapped off the jewel with her arm, reeling it high above her.

Its energy was gorgeous. Marvelous. A feat of nature. Of the supernatural. It was artwork. The most glorious specific the universe had to offer.

She would bleed it.

Snarling like a beast in the night, Krys clasped the little gem in her hands. It sparkled through her fingers.

She hated it.

“You’re _mine_ ,” she hissed at it and clasped harder. “You think it’s beautiful to be shimmering and untarnished, but it isn’t. The most incredible things in the world are those which have taken their blows, that have cried out into the night alone with nothing to turn to, that have prayed with no answers. You think you hold the key to peace? You are calling me to lead me into peace? You think you’re going to bring me back? FUCK YOU,” she roared; her fist was so tight she wondered if she could break her own fingers.

“I will not turn for you,” she continued to rage, “You will turn for _ME_.”

And Kylo could hear Krys’ screams from the exit he stood at. The Stormtroopers jumped to the ready, about to run full speed in, when Master Ren brought up his hand to halt them. Confused, they obeyed, but still held their blasters for any assault coming.

And then they could see it. A small light coming from the edge of the cave. It grew closer and closer, still small, but blaring its color.

It was red.

Krys stepped from the shadows, sweat beating down her brow, a most predatory gaze emitting from her.

A few paces from Kylo, she stopped, holding the red glow in her hand.

Until she held it out, and she said:

“What does this mean?”

The crystal had broken in two.

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AW SHIT IT BROKKKKKKE
> 
> Thank you for reading!  
> Find me on Tumblr at @KyloWithAZukoArc for more Reylo content!


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What does it mean to have a broken kyber crystal? The Dark Side of the Force starts gettin a little hot n bothered.

Back on the main ship the next day, Master and Apprentice sat at their workstation. A spread of parts lay before them - wires, energy diverters, panels, screws, and more - all next to a splay of tools - drivers, splitters, cutters, and others Krys didn’t recognize.

Kylo stared at the halves laid out on the table. It had been a clean break, straight down the middle. Her Master rested his chin on his hands, his mouth in a hard set line.

Krys sweat bullets, sitting awkwardly next to him. Was she in trouble? She couldn’t read his expression. Kylo hadn’t said a word one way about it or another since she emerged from the cave. He had only turned the split gem over in his hands and asked if there were any others that had called to her while there. “Negative,” she had informed him. From there, he commanded that they were to leave back to the main hub, and nothing more. She gripped the crystalline parts in her fingers the whole way back.

It was an exorbitantly long time before he said anything.

But first, he took out his saber and held it out to her.

“Cut it on,” he commanded.

She suppressed an “Oh” as she received his weapon.

It was the first time she’d ever held it, or so much as touched it.

Wide eyed, she examined the hilt closely; The saber was lighter than she expected, elegant in nature. She did as she was told, and crimson flooded the private room. The energy hit like a scream against her person. Without fail, the crossed saber sent shivers down her spine every time. Something about it reminded her of pained wails and hot tears.

“Examine the beams,” he told her, “What are they like?”

 _They’re raging_ , she thought to herself, watching them sizzle, hiss, snap, and sputter. But, unsure he would take that answer, she gave one more technical:

“They appear... unstable,” she offered.

Kylo nodded. “Correct. Do you know why?”

She shook her head. At that, he held his hand out for his saber back. She begrudgingly returned it.

In retracting it, he placed it on the table and, grabbing a bar from the tools laid out, opened the main chamber for her to take a look.

She gasped,

“It’s cracked.”

The beautiful, violent red kyberite shew a refraction of light from its brokenness. A chunk was missing as it divided in the middle. Master and Apprentice peered over it like doctors performing open heart surgery.

Her jaw laid open. His had snapped too?

“With it cracked, the energy it produces becomes volatile,” he educated, motioning to the cross at the top, “I had to build in vents to accommodate it.”

“Is kind of thing normal?” she asked.

“No.”

He closed the shaft. She sat back on her stool.

“What does it mean?”

Kylo rescrewed the panel in as he spoke: “When I bled mine, it was a messy business. It happened right after, shall we say, _heated_ circumstances. My energy was hellbent and angry, but my saber had been with me for the whole journey. So while its transition was, we’ll say, _intense_ , it had warning. It may have ‘sensed’ what was coming, and so ‘accepted’ it more.

“But yours...,” he led on.

“I… broke it.”

He honestly laughed.

She couldn’t help but appreciate the wrinkles at his eyes then. Even if he was making fun of her.

“Well, yes,” he replied, “But to physically manifest a crystal’s broken will... It means you show great promise.”

A huge heave of relief poured through her. She wasn’t going to be punished. Thank god.

“However,” he continued.

“‘However’?” she copied.

“The plasma that can be emitted from each piece is literally cut in half. Constructing your saber will be an... interesting affair.”

“We’ll figure it out,” Krys affirmed, determination crossing her visage.

Kylo smirked at that.

And so they experimented.

Could they tie the pieces together into one standard saber using _two_ chambers and a conductor?

The answer was the first saber exploding to bits.

Could they place each piece at the end of a handle and make a double saber?

The answer was, yes, but it was quite short at either end. Not very effective at all. In fact, it looked stupid. Kylo even laughed, calling her a second rate Darth Maul.

She didn’t know what that meant, but she was offended nonetheless.

And then it hit her.

“So, how about this,” she brainstormed a proposition while they ate a late - very late - dinner of layered meat and pasta.

He heard out her idea. But he didn’t bite. At least not at first. She countered by emphasizing that such a solution would feel natural to her. When she grew up on the streets, using the kind of thing was second nature.

He replied, “Imagine us sparring. Do you really see yourself being able to defend yourself well?”

“Trust me,” an evil glint entered her pupils, “Knowing what I know now with what I learned back then... It’ll work.”

His eyebrows lifted. But also. What other option was there?

And so he nodded. And she could have jumped for joy.

They kept on all night. It had been a excessively long day, but exhaustion would not keep them from their end goal.

Before the equivalent of sunrise, Krys stood with her new weapon.

Or rather, _weapons_.

Krys wielded two short blades in either hand. The red - _her_ red - shot up in a glorious fashion.

When their auras greeted her, they felt so familiar. Like frayed desperation, but cut. Folded. Pinned. A mad dog on a leash. Wild things that were reeled back in line.

There was reason why the cut had been clean.

She smirked victoriously, twirling one like a switchblade from back in the day. “Shall we try them out?”

Kylo chuckled. “Against dummies, sure. _We’ll_ only spar after you’ve had some practice.”

“You’re no fun,” she lamented.

And Kylo smiled yet again.

She’d never seen him smile so many times.

-

Recovering from their all nighter was, in scientific terms, the fucking worst. The First Order’s responsibilities demanded their attention, no matter what the cost, so the rest of the week was, in summary, _rough_. Hux was especially biting through it all. She wanted nothing more than to run her new reds through his neck.

But despite the burnout, Krys devoted time every day to her dual sabers.

It was nostalgic for her in a way. Short blades had been her method of choice for defending herself as an orphan. They could be hidden easily and drawn without a thought. She took to them easier than any of the “proper” lightsaber training Kylo had laid on her. While she appreciated all the forms he introduced - especially Ataru and Shien - holding her shortblade reds felt like coming home.

It wasn’t long before she was challenging him to another fight.

“You’re ridiculous,” he laughed her off.

The Supreme Leader had been so laid back with her as of late. She noticed him dim his shields more and more around her, though she would never bring it up.

Kylo wouldn’t admit it, but seeing her with her own lightsabers was akin to a father holding his child for the first time. He had known he was a teacher. He had acted like one. But not until Krys cut on her shortblades with such excitement had he _felt_ it.

 _Apprentice_ , he mused again. This time, he was proud.

“Afraid I’ll kick your ass?” Krys joked back.

“So you _want_ to be put into your place?” Kylo grinned, despite himself.

“Show me why I call you Master.”

She cut on both her reds and assumed a stance he was unfamiliar with. It was a strong pose, low to the ground, with one blade high and the other underneath.

She smiled for fight.

He leered back.

Kylo’s saber screamed alive. She embraced its hunger. Drank in its insanity.

And she struck first.

Running into her opponent head on, she anticipated his one-two defense against her small strikes. Those had been for play, experimentation; she didn’t expect to hit him immediately.

For now, she analyzed how her little knives of light could get inside his range. Kylo had been right; his longer sword proved a great threat, having better reach and stronger two-handed blows, but she held new ploys.

Kylo’s pure strength had her backing up now; she swiftly bashed his blade away at each hit, but only lightly to the side before it returned with a vengeance.

He slapped the red out of her right hand then, and she kept falling back.

“So far, not impressed,” he purred snidely.

“You weren’t supposed to be,” she sneered back.

And then she called her dropped saber.

It launched itself from behind Kylo, grazing his rib cage, before flying into Krys’ empty hand.

The surprise disrupted her Master’s next attack, and the pain brought him to a knee. With him caught off guard, she pounced.

At the last second, Kylo swooped his saber up to his face, and as her short blades collided, it became a strength contest. Her twins held in an crossed fashion against his.

And Kylo’s eyes were - she could see for the first time ever - shocked. And they were wide with - what was that - _fear_?

She relished the moment.

But for only for that moment, as he soon retrieved his bearings. In a straight match of pure power, Kylo won every time.

He pushed her off, and she jumped back, well out of his range. She projected another protective stance.

And Kylo snickered. And then his snicker turned into a chuckle, which then turned into a full laugh.

It astonished her.

But she couldn’t help but smile back.

“Seems, my Apprentice,” Kylo observed, rising to his feet, “Treachery is your way of the Dark Side.”

Krys beamed grandly, but still held her pose, though no intent of aggression could be found in him.

“Brute strength is yours,” she replied.

There was a glint in his eye. He retracted his saber then.

“All these little scars from you,” he pondered quietly, rubbing the cauterized wound.

Why did that make her feel so warm?

She dropped her posture then, cutting off her own blades.

“Does this mean I win?” she impudently teased.

And suddenly she was flying forward.

Kylo held her throat now. He had pulled her to him in no time at all, and it was the strongest Force grip she had ever felt of her Master. She couldn’t breathe, throat bruising against his actual hand. Her sabers were gone too; he pushed them away.

“What do you think?” he simmered.

He held her gaze so close to his.

Feeling the weight of her Master tower over her, she sensed something particular from him. Despite his iron grip, it was not anger, not hatred, not pain.

She recognized it quickly, having experienced that urge from all the clients of the old whorehouse. Such things usually didn’t phase her; at worst, it only pissed her off.

But that feeling... coming from her Master? For her?

Was his face coming closer?

 _Surely_ it was to intimidate. It couldn’t be to...

Her heart raced, tears welling up in her eyes from his choking.

And he stopped short.

Then let her go.

Kylo stepped many, many paces away from her, and she caught her breath. His shields shot back up even before she got all her air back.

As she coughed, Kylo just stood there, a million questions running through his skull.

What did he just _do_?

What did he just try to _do_?

What came over him?

And what should he do now?

Should he leave? No, he would look like a coward.

Should he ignore it? No. He already retreated so far away, that would be weird.

Should he force her to forget?

Did he want her to?

She met his stunned gaze. He might have guarded his mind, but his expression and body language were all she needed.

“Master...” she quietly called out.

Another moment passed in taut stillness.

“I-”

But before Kylo could finish, a communication alarm cut through the dojo’s speakers. One that was only used for emergencies.

Kylo and Krys broke contact, she gritting her teeth, him grateful for whatever catastrophe sounded. It couldn’t be any worse than the disaster in this room.

“Patch it through,” Kylo commanded to the AI.

An officer’s voice replaced the alarm:

“Supreme Leader. We have received a broadcasted threat from an organization who calls themselves The Final Order.”

 _The Final Order?_ What?

“They claim revenge, sourced from... Palpatine.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AW SHIT HERE GOES THE TROS FIXIN
> 
> Thank you for reading!  
> Find me on tumblr as @KyloWithAZukoArc for Reylo content!


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Remixing a bit of the TROS scenes and adding more context to MAKE IT MAKE SENSE. Also, let the pining begin.

Palpatine?

Impossible.

Palpatine was dead. Vader had killed him. Kylo’s grandfather had killed him. There was no way he could be alive.

Unless.

Kylo stared at his ancestor’s distorted, malformed, melted helmet. He sat alone in his quarters, his nerves more on edge than he’d thought possible.

“Grandfather...,” he whispered to the burned relic. “Your master Darth Sidious has returned. Or so they say. I require guidance. Please. Show me the truth.”

And Kylo placed his gloved hand over the sacred treasure.

And immediately, he was overcome with visions.

There came a familiar cry.

He’d seen this before.

“Come back!!” the yell came. From a young girl with three buns. Her parents flying off, leaving her.

His heart twisted in revolt.

 _No. This again? Why? Why her? No. I just stopped thinking about_ -

“Join me,” he had said. It felt so long ago. It felt like yesterday.

“Join me,” he heard the echo. A deep reverb from a classic breather. From-

_Grandfather? That is you? This is you? Why are you showing me-_

Luke. There was Luke, at Crait.

And Han.

Han at the end of Kylo’s saber.

Kylo strained against the pit of his stomach. He could puke.

_Grandfather, why? Why are you showing me these things? I’ve put them behind me. I-_

Then Vader’s voice morphed into an unknown, creeping cadence, the likes of which he had never heard before.

_“I have been -”_

_“ - every voice -”_

_“- inside your head.”_

No. It wasn’t Grandfather.

It wasn’t Vader.

_Palpatine?_

A wild laughter filled his mind.

And the last vision -

A throne. A dark throne. Someone sitting on it. But — who?

They turned their head.

And red eyes met his. They had not been red when he had known them. A double ended saber cut on the light. He saw their face.

 _No._ Kylo thought. _No._

And he pulled himself from the sacred token.

Kylo fell back into his chambers. He was already covered in sweat, panting wildly, eyes holding fear.

_Why?_

_There’s no way._

_How could it...?_

He held his head in his hands.

_Rey..._

-

The Supreme Leader’s chair sat noticeably empty in the conference room. Krys was sitting next to it, arguing with Hux.

She loved having enough power to _argue_ now.

He’d criticized: “This threat is a hoax. How could the former Emperor ever be alive? And how could he have an army? This doesn’t add up.”

She replied: “Palpatine’s master was Darth Plagueis.” She reveled in the history gained from Kylo’s lessons. “And Plagueis invented the dark tactic of staving of death. Clearly, Palpatine, as his Apprentice, perfected it.”

“Even if that _was_ true,” Hux angrily rolled, “Then what of the matter of the armies? How could we not know of a massive regime rivaling our own until now?” The questions kept coming, but Krys interrupted him.

“That, we shall find out. But Palpatine is _not_ a hoax. We know from the Supreme Leader’s Force vision that he is alive, and that alone warrants investigation.”

“These damn Force visions. Can they really be trusted?”

“You want to call the Supreme Leader _wrong_?”

“Well from what I know, they do not appear to be an exact science. How do you know they aren’t just dreams, fantasies?”

The burning memory of Krys’ scene in the dark swamp fired in her skull.

“Believe me. You _know_.”

-

Kylo finally found a lead.

With droids at his side, he had _personally_ drummed through every old file that belonged to the former Supreme Leader. It was bitter work, seemingly fruitless, until they discovered a different kind of data.

Data of the handwritten sort.

Books, so fragile that one too quick of a pageturn might crumble them, were discovered amidst the remains of Snoke’s old quarters. The First Order had backtracked to obliterated remains of Snoke’s ship, _The Supremacy_ , and in tearing Snoke’s Master room apart, found them stowed away in a secret compartment.

Books with old Sith language scrawled inside them.

Luckily, the service droids were able to translate.

They spoke of Exegol. Or rather, _Ixigul_ as it was called in the texts. An old hidden world of the Sith. Snoke had once pontificated about the hidden world and the history of Dark Lords, but only spoke of it as legend. Now, after comparing the texts with the images in his mind, Kylo knew that it was real. Inside the ancient tomes he found descriptions and illustrations, and even better, the mention of a Sith wayfinder.

And where to get one.

-

That night, he paced in his room. The ship was well on its way to their destination where they would retrieve the device; they’d be arriving first thing in the morning.

Kylo needed to get to Palpatine. Needed to quash this threat to his power.

But secretly, he needed answers.

The image of Rey haunted his mind as strong as ever.

Why would she turn to the Dark Side? She had rejected him and everything he had offered. Rey made it clear, and with their connection gone, there was no reason for her to turn. He could not lead her down that path. Not like with Krys.

Krys.

 _Shit_ , he thought to himself. He had not at all mentioned the Rey part of this at all to his Apprentice. Ever since the last dojo session, he had been avoiding Krys as much as possible.

 _Coward_ , he thought.

He’d almost crossed the line. The divide between Master and Apprentice was firm. He was to hold the power, and she was to crave it. Such was the Rule of Two. It was business. Teacher and student. A clear dynamic that could not be distorted through... other means.

He shook his head. He’d never let such base instincts take over again.

Unless she wanted it too?

No, no, it wouldn’t matter if she did or didn’t. Again. The dynamic. It was supposed to be orderly, supposed to...

Well... he hadn’t felt that way when he asked Rey to join him, had he? To rule together. As Master and Apprentice. Emperor and Empress. Husband and...

Rey.

Was she already on the dark throne? Is that what the vision meant? Was she already turned? Could it have actually been her sending him visions of her past?

Their pasts?

But how would she...

Kylo clenched his fist.

He needed answers _now_.

-

Krys lied in her bed.

It did not escape her that Kylo had her practicing with sabers the past weeks instead of helping him research.

Granted, she needed all the practice she could get, especially with tomorrow’s plan. She caught on quick with her shortblades, but she was still new. And more or less, she had to figure it out for herself.

But still.

He was avoiding her, and she knew it.

She turned it over in her head.

Shouldn’t the Dark Side make them ascend from such base things?

Or did it actually amplify it?

She was human. Kylo was human. So...

Those instincts were natural. The two of them spent so much time together. And the edge of fighting and danger could only fuel such urges. It was just that. Urges.

Normal.

And nothing more.

Right?

She flipped over in bed.

She had come to Kylo for his power. She only cared about how strong he was in the Force. And that remained to be true. All she wanted from him was to grow her own strength.

And to be used.

_Used?_

_Like that?_

She squirmed.

God, she fumed. Tomorrow was such a big mission, and this was all she could think about?

_Pathetic._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PATHETIC
> 
> Thank you for reading!
> 
> Find me on Tumblr as @KyloWithAZukoArc for Reylo content!


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> WE GOIN TO MUSTAFAR YALLLLLL, LET THE RIDE BEGIN

They were here.

The planet that housed the Sith Wayfinder.

Mustafar.

The very planet where Kylo’s grandfather burned alive. Where he had turned completely from Anakin to Darth Vader. Where he had constructed his palace, long since abandoned by the First Order. And now, where a people of cult colonists had settled, seeking the legacy power of the Dark Side.

They had infested his late grandfather’s castle and surrounding iron forests.

 _Parasites_ , Kylo insulted.

Krys’ mouth watered. Her fingers gripped around her sabers, ready for the bloodbath.

“Send in the first wave,” Kylo ordered.

And at once, the armies scrambled. A battalion of transporters and TIE fighters were dispatched. Their forces soared through the blackened sky to the lava lands below.

The Supreme Leader, Apprentice, and their generals all watched the feed of the massacre. The parasites had no warning.

The TIE fighters struck first, blowing apart the dams that shadowed the castle. The heated rock immediately flooded the open back gates, and transporters deposited Stormtroopers at the top of the infrastructure. TIE Fighters shot holes through the walls, and the groundsman marched through them. It wasn’t long before the _leeches_ inside were all fleeing out the front of the palace.

Right into the arms of more Stormtroopers, ready to greet them.

Too easy.

Normally it would feel sacrilegious to Kylo to blow Darth Vader’s former site apart, but they had no time for reverence. This was war. Privately, however, there was more to it.

Kylo was angry.

 _Grandfather..._ he had thought to himself. _So you never spoke to me? All those nights I pleaded for your help, and the voice I heard, it wasn’t you?_

The great Palpatine could resurrect himself from the dead. Could throw his thoughts into Kylo’s mind. But the great Darth Vader couldn’t so much as spare his grandson a few words?

_Fuck this place._

“Send in the second wave,” The Supreme Leader ordered.

And Krys’ eyes positively glistened.

The sheer carnage. It was so delicious.

-

Mustafar was already a smoking hub of a planet. So the new battle scars upon its surface fit right in.

The swaths of dead bodies though, those stuck out.

“Beautiful,” Krys commented.

Master and Apprentice walked the halls of the imperial building. The lava flow, as expected, did not catch the structure on fire; it was entirely, purposefully constructed out of heat resistant material. The duo supervised the Stormtroopers’ search within the emptied palace for the Wayfinder.

In doing so, they found the Throne Room.

Found the command center.

Even found Darth Vader’s personal healing chambers.

And Kylo’s aura was noticeably silent, Krys thought to herself. She would have thought he would wax eloquently to her about the majesty of the former Sith ruler. Over Vader’s incredible power and the marvelous architecture that had been erected in his honor.

But Kylo just stayed silent. His shoulders even tighter than usual.

Then they were informed that the Wayfinder was, well, not found. It was not here.

And Kylo let loose.

Krys had seen him destroy computers before. Seen him destroy consoles, walls, furniture, and all the rest. It was almost a weekly occurrence. Something everyone expected and everyone feared. Their fear, she fed on it.

But when she witnessed her master destroy the personal room of the great Darth Vader with more ferocity she had ever witnessed from him, she was afraid.

Terrified.

And for once, not in a way that inspired her.

The messenger lay dead on the floor. Kylo panted. In reading his body language, she could have sworn he was about to fall to his knees.

But then came the second piece of news, announced from a comlink -

“We found a secret passage!”

-

Krys and Kylo dashed through a hidden underground exit. They sprinted, followed by their troops, through a long tunnel and cave that eventually emerged into a thin forest of iron trees.

The ground was so level and the trees were so bare, even with the head start, the Final Order could see clear as day -

On the horizon, the runaways fled.

And in the middle of them, a procession carried an ark.

Their most prized possession.

Which held the Wayfinder.

-

Krys felt the Dark Side. It flowed through her like a tidal wave. The deranged joy that spread across her face was the last thing her victim ever saw.

She pulled her blades from the settler’s chest, and they collapsed with a great _thud_. Krys relished his last breath.

Her first kill with the sabers. She felt high.

She could have laughed to heaven then, but there was so much left to do.

She launched herself into the next runaway, and the next, and the next, and the next, and the next, and the next.

Krys fought beside her Master as he channeled the fury and unrelenting storm into the parasites that surrounded them. Nothing could touch him. And nothing could touch her.

They fought to the center of the fray, to that which was protected.

Krys threw her saber to slice through the head of an ark bearer, and, pushing the blade onward, impaled the one in front of him too. As she recalled her weapon, the ark careened to the ground. By the time it was crushing the bodies of the fallen, Kylo had caught up and eliminated the final bearers.

The Stormtroopers swept up the pitiful surrounding stragglers.

And soon, not a single cultist was left standing.

Krys couldn’t catch her breath if she wanted to. Surveying their damage, those decapitated, stabbed, amputated, shot, and cut in half, she felt a mass exodus of life force leaving the battlegrounds.

It was positively intoxicating.

Kylo strode over to the ark, much more focused. His waves in the Force practically made a wind that scattered the ash and dirt off the top of the protective case.

He pushed with his own hands the slab covering off.

And there it was.

What they came there for. The key.

“The Wayfinder,” Krys said, watching him hold it up high.

She might have believed he smiled at her, but with the helmet, there was no way to confirm.

-

Mere minutes later, they were picked up by a transporter. Kylo examined the device in his hand on the way back, Krys keenly observing.

It was like a green pyramid; small lights inside it lit with patterns. Like starmaps held within its being.

Kylo’s grip on it tightened.

Krys inquired: “What if we took his secrets?”

“What?”

“Palpatine. He has dark powers to return from death. What if we beat the knowledge out of him?”

And Kylo had to laugh.

It surprised them both. Kylo was laughing again? After such a wild day? After their last interaction alone?

“So you want to live forever?” he asked her.

“I... I don’t know,” she replied. “Would you?”

He opened his mouth to reply, “Not if I was alone,” but promptly shut the fuck up. He readjusted his answer. “Depends.”

And then he turned away back to the Wayfinder.

“This had better work.”

-

The device lay wired into the navigational system of the main ship. Every eye of the command shuttle was glued to the front view outside their window.

Exegol.

There it was. Plain as day. It was real.

It wasn’t on any other map, and their radars could not detect it whatsoever, but every pair of eyes confirmed it.

The hidden world of the Sith existed.

But despite the mixed feelings of anticipation and heaviness, there was a small problem.

The entire planet was surrounded by a heavily charged asteroid field.

And there was more.

The moment their ship had broken through hyperspace, something like a shockwave had crashed into Kylo and Krys from the Force. A bizarre pressure. A disturbance.

“What is this?” Krys had asked, feeling something of a headache.

“Shoot it open,” commanded Kylo, pointing towards the asteroids knit together; they seemed like dark clouds in the electrical storm. But his armies were not to be deterred by this obstacle so easily.

However, when the cannons fired and destroyed that which blocked their path, the strangest thing happened: as if there was some kind of magnetic pull, the surrounding molten, electrified rocks snapped back into place.

Kylo clenched his fists.

Krys asked, “What is this phenomenon?”

There had been no mention of such things in the texts or histories of the planet. Their team of experts could look into its origins, similar instances. But Kylo had no time for that.

“Examine it,” he ordered his crew, “What can you tell me?”

“There is too much interference,” a data scan crewmember informed him, “Our metrics are scrambled just looking at it.”

The Supreme Leader snorted through his nose. There were tight cracks between the asteroids. Only ships as small as a TIE fighter possibly navigate through it.

“Send one ship through. Single pilot. Test it.”

That poor pilot.

The moment the TIE fighter approached the firing rocks, the First Order lost all communication. The last thing they heard was a horrid yelp over static: “My head, it’s like - I’m - being crushed - I -” and the vessel lost control. They could only bear witness as the ship careered into the side of an orbiting asteroid.

Krys’ mouth lie agape.

“What is going on?”

“Explain this,” Hux bashed against Kylo. “You’re the expert here.”

Kylo shot him a look, then studied the lightning flowing through the belt. He felt an immense power emanating from it all.

A familiar one.

“Palpatine,” he said. “He must be causing this. A Force field, wafting off from some kind of current...”

Krys’ eyes widened. Did the renewed Sith really have that much power? To surround a planet with this much energy? “He would have to have... the strength of a god...” She looked up to her master.

Frightened.

“There must be something particular with Exegol,” Kylo surmised. “There is reason the Sith had chosen it to house themselves. He must be working with its natural Darkness to amplify his own.”

Krys breathed out. That was a small bit of relief. But not really. If this was Darth Sidious on the defense, how much worse would an attack be? If Palpatine could already do this, what other ploys did he have in store?

And how could they get through to even find that out?

“This field...,” Kylo hypothesized, “It’s a filter. Disrupting our technology, crushing minds. So only Force users will be able to fight it off, get though...”

He looked to his Apprentice.

She swallowed hard.

-

Kylo and Krys manned his private fighter. She sat behind him with Kylo at the controls. She fucking trembled.

He trembled too, though he wouldn’t dare show it.

“Apprentice,” he spake her. She sat up straight, pulling her best poker face. “I will be helping you,” he said, “but I have to focus on piloting.” He began his start up sequence. “I won’t sugarcoat it. It’s going to be perilous. And you’re going to have to to take the main brunt of the Force field.”

Krys’ heartbeat was going to jump out her ribcage. Kylo couldn’t bear to even look at her.

“Our lives are in your hands,” he told her.

And she breathed.

“And they are in yours,” she replied.

At that, he craned his neck to look at her.

Her heart now jumped into her throat.

There was so much she wanted to say. And not a word came out.

But she was even more speechless at his next action.

He held his hand out to her.

With his helmet facing forward, he reached back from his chair, offering it.

She was so stunned she almost didn’t take it.

But when she did, she gripped it tight, and so did he.

And they said nothing.

In breaking the hold, Kylo took a deep breath:

“Expand your consciousness,” he told her. “Surround the ship. I need to feel you through the whole thing.”

She nodded, closing her eyes, and intaking the air, she stretched.

Kylo felt her being wash over him, and pass on through, all the way until her spirit cradled the entirety of the ship.

He let himself go within it.

And they swam together.

And then braced it tight.

-

Hux was near laughing to himself. The Supreme Leader and his dog so eagerly threw themselves into danger. The General had meant to argue as he always did - _“What hope would the two of you have against his army? Against him? Are you mad?”_ \- but then he silenced himself. If The Supreme Leader wanted to kill himself, and his heir, then by all means.

Let Hux take the throne.

“Are you in position?” Armitage inquired over the comlink.

“Affirmative,” Kylo conformed, “Wait for us to return. If we aren’t back within one day’s time, unleash the full brunt of The First Order upon the planet.”

“Roger. Ready to fire?” Hux replied.

“Fire.”

And the main ship blew a hole right through the field again.

But the entry point wouldn’t last long.

Kylo gunned it.

And with every second that passed, with every klick closer they approached, the pressure packed on more and more.

Krys grit her teeth so hard they could break. Her fingers outstretched in resistance against the opposing Force. She pushed as hard as she could to keep the charged atmosphere at bay, but it was so overwhelming.

As she struggled, they sped through the quickly shrinking opening. As it enclosed on them, Kylo’s piloting kicked into full gear, dodging the spacerock that seemed adamant to crush them.

A task made all the more difficult from the splitting headache coursing through his head; it was quickly turning into a blinding migraine.

Krys raged. She had to do this. He was depending on her. She depended on her. The First Order depended on her. She could do this. She could -

But then the opening officially closed on them. The immense pressure wormed its way into her skull.

And something else with it.

“ _He doesn’t want you_ ,” came the intruding thought.

Krys near lost her concentration from that alone.

 _She_ didn’t think those words. She had heard them. In her skull.

“ _He never wanted you. Even now. You’ll always be playing second fiddle._ ”

A part of her barked back to say “ _Who’s there? What is this?_ ” But she already knew full well.

_Palpatine._

The hair raised on the back of her neck. A sharp pain shot through her temples, and vision blurred. Her fingers were going numb. Her lungs ached like they were going to collapse.

She heaved.

“ _Just watch._ ” the voice said, “ _You’ll never be good enough. He’ll never choose you, truly._ ”

“Shut up,” she choked out aloud.

“ _You’ll see_ ,” Palatine solidified.

“SHUT. UP,” she screamed back aloud. “See THIS!”

And the pressure lifted. She lifted it. And together with Kylo, they pushed the last effort.

With it, Kylo successfully dodged the last of the circulating storm, and they broke through into an open orbit.

Silence then filled their mind, the intensity released, and, when Kylo could see clearly again, there before him was the surface of the planet, taking up the entire view.

He couldn’t believe it.

“We did it,” he commented in awe. They survived. They made it to Exegol proper.

But when Krys didn’t reply, he looked back.

And he saw her limp in her seat, unmoving.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FUCK
> 
> Thank you for reading!  
> Find me on Tumblr as @KyloWithAZukoArc for Reylo content!


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Krys has fainted, but traditional methods won't save her. What to do?

“KRYS,” he exclaimed. Immediately Kylo threw on the autopilot, inputting to coast on the planet’s orbit. He unbuckled and ran to her.

At once he took off her harness and laid her flat on the ground. They had brought with them a med droid, and so he commanded it awake to scan her.

It informed: “Her blood pressure has dropped 20 mm Hg. Elevate the legs to return to normal levels.”

Kylo did just that; sitting beside her, he pulled Krys’ extremities to a high angle and waited.

“Krys. Wake up. Wake up,” he called to her.

But she wasn’t waking up.

He spoke to the droid, “Can’t you shock her awake or something?”

“Her heart is still beating. It would only inflict more harm.”

Kylo panicked. He could sense Krys’ Life Force was off, curling into itself. Bacta wouldn’t help in this situation.

And an idea struck him, something he had encountered from pouring over the ancient texts. The studies that Darth Plagueis himself had gleaned from, though Kylo would never know that.

There was a theory that the Dark Side could artificially stimulate midichlorians in a user’s blood. Effects could range and were dangerous to tamper with, but he knew if she didn’t wake up soon, it could result in permanent damage; not to mention, there would be no way he could get back to the main ship without her. To make matters worse, communications were blocked from the storm.

He was alone.

And it was this or nothing.

Kylo sighed and took off his helmet. Then placed his free hand on Krys’ heart.

Breathing in, he focused the Force within him, around him, and, extending his feel, energized the Force within her.

It was the wildest sensation. He could read her diminished Life Force so intimately. There were echos of her uncertainty, determination, and fury, and so he lurched to pull them back to the forefront. He stirred it awake.

The silence was broken from her small cough.

“Krys, Krys,” he called to her, a giant wash of relief let free from him. She weakly looked up to meet his gaze.

“Master...,” she hoarsely acknowledged. He was so close. The scar that bisected his face was so prevalent now. But also, “... What are you doing?”

He let down her legs then.

“Sorry. You alright?”

Krys coughed again. “... Yeah, I’m great.”

The residual of his handprint left warmth on her soul. What was with that?

“Can you stand?” he asked.

“Maybe.”

He helped her to her feet, putting an arm around her waist to hoist upward, and then turned her to the planetary view. A light gasp emitted from her.

“We did it,” she said.

The surface of Exegol was not too unlike the storm they had just passed. Its atmosphere was riddled with lightning strikes across a lifeless, icy landscape. White cast through the dark and blue.

“The world of the Sith...,” she observed.

By all accounts, they should feel right at home.

But nothing could be further from the truth.

-

“He knows we’re here,” Krys said, Kylo having lowered her to the seat. “He... He invaded my head.”

Kylo tensed. The rush of anxiety from his last encounter with Palpatine ran through his chest.

 _It hadn’t been Rey though._.. Kylo thought to himself. There was absolutely no trace of Rey’s Darkness or Light in the surrounding field. There was nothing of her anywhere.

So she wasn’t here after all?

“Did he threaten you?” Kylo asked, probing for more details, “Did he say he’s coming to attack?”

“No.”

“Then what did he do?”

She averted his gaze. “It doesn’t matter. He just tried to shake me up is all.” Krys busied her hands by strapping herself in. “But if he knows, and hasn’t sent an arsenal yet to take us down...”

“Then he’s waiting for us,” Kylo completed her thought.

Krys nodded. “He wants us alone. I think he wants... to talk.”

Her Master diverted himself back to the controls, wherein their Wayfinder had been connected to its navigational track. It displayed exactly where they would find their enemy.

“Then we’ll talk,” Kylo said.

-

Avoiding the worst of the belligerent weather, Kylo landed their aircraft. Before them stood an erected fortress, utterly massive, with an open entrance at the bottom.

Expecting them.

“Stay here,” Kylo ordered, equipping his cracked mask again.

“I’m coming with,” Krys countered.

“You can barely walk.”

“I’m _coming_ ,” she repeated, catching on one of her sabers.

Kylo rolled his eyes. “I need you functional. Recover your strength.”

She stood to her feet. “I want to hear what he has to say.”

“Are you disobeying your Master?”

She pouted.

Krys fucking pouted.

“Please? If he wanted us dead, we’d be dead already.”

Kylo sighed unhappily.

What if Rey was inside? Is that why they were wanted alone? Because that was what she wanted, to talk privately? Was that the real reason for the asteroid blockade?

Kylo extended his feelings as much as possible. But again, there was no sense of the Jedi at all.

He was... disappointed.

“I won’t slow down for you,” he relented.

Krys smirked.

“Never thought you would.”

-

Kylo and Krys exited their starship, sabers blazing, ready for anything. Walking - and angrily limping - into the temple, they found themselves on a hexagonal platform. Slowly it carried them deeper and deeper into the abyss. Statues in the catacombs surrounded them, growing taller as the duo descended.

The fury of the ancients was palpable.

 _“At last...,_ ” they heard from everywhere, from no where.

Krys clenched her sabers, adrenaline running through her veins, suddenly numb to any pain she had been feeling. Kylo gazed every which way in the darkness as the voice disgustingly laughed, “ _We finally meet in person_.”

“What do you want?” Kylo seethed, now on the ground floor, edging further and further into the catacombs. Krys covered his back.

_“What I have always wanted, dear boy. Revenge.”_

“Against who? Darth Vader? Luke Skywalker?” Bile coated his throat at the mention of his uncle. “You’re a bit late for that.”

Palpatine laughed again.

_“Against the Light.”_

And suddenly a flash lit the entirety of the cavernous room. A lab was revealed, with Sidious’ minions tending to preserved, twisted bodies in bubbling tubes.

“What is this?” Kylo could have screamed, “What is this??”

Each and every body was a Snoke. Kylo would have hurled if he could have even comprehended what he was seeing.

“Snoke is dead,” Kylo seethed, “He is dead. What are these-”

“ _My boy, I_ made _Snoke._ ”

Kylo had stopped in his tracks. Krys couldn’t understand what she was looking at.

“Clones?” she said aloud. She had heard tales of the Clone Wars from long, long ago, and knew that the original Stormtroopers had been imperial make. “But clones of who?” she asked.

“ _Me_ ,” Palpatine sneered.

And suddenly they saw him. There Palpatine was, alight from the storm, hanging from some maniacal contraption, with wires falling out his back and a half formed face.

“Not exact replicas, of course,” he chuckled, “Couldn’t have my perfect likeness walking around.”

The full weight of Palpatine’s power crashed down upon Kylo’s shoulders.

“The whole time...,” he began.

“... you were _my_ apprentice,” the Dark god sneered, “Though I see the student has now become the teacher.”

Krys felt dirty from Palatine even mentioning her. Even looking at her. And for Kylo, it was utter defeat.

Had his path really been set the entire time? Molded into fit someone else’s desires?

Had he ever made a real choice in his life?

“Now then,” Palpatine went on, his puppeteering crane bringing him to a throne behind him. “For why I called you here.”

“You didn’t call us here.”

“I left you the path to the Wayfinder, did I not?”

A vein could have busted in Kylo’s forehead from that line.

“I wished to speak one-on-one. Now that you are here, I have a mission for you.”

Kylo balked, “What makes you think I work for you?”

“Is that any way to speak to your Master?”

And that was it. Kylo lost it.

He threw himself forward onto the throne, all logic entirely gone, just to slice this motherfucker in half.

Palpatine retaliated with lightning.

Krys had thrown her plasma daggers the moment her Master lurched forward. In solidarity she attacked, but the bolts were too fast; Kylo was shot back from the shock, bashing Krys with him many feet away.

“As I was saying...,” Palpatine resumed, holding Krys’ sabers by the Force, untethered. “My _revenge_.” He threw her weapons to the floor.

Krys could have sworn everything was broken inside her; her Master had slammed against her with such momentum, her head spun.

Kylo’s muscles spasmed and twitched, his mind fried; he wouldn’t have been able to understand what his... master... had been saying without him throwing it into Kylo’s skull too.

Palpatine smiled an ugly smile. “The way you destroyed Ben Solo... we will destroy the last Jedi.”

Kylo’s hair stood on end.

“You will bring the Rey girl to me.”

-

Rey.

Motherfucking Rey.

She _was_ a part of this.

Palpatine wanted her.

To turn her.

Kylo was suddenly sober after his attack. Krys noticed his shock was the same as when they had drank on the dojo floor.

And it a fire lit in her unlike anything else.

She’d been right.

The Rey girl. She was the one.

But... they had to turn her? Had she never been Dark? Or did she defect to the Light Side and they wanted her back?

So many questions. What was happening?

Kylo grit his teeth. There was no avoiding it now. The hurt pair wobbly rose to their feet.

“Rey will never turn,” Kylo spat, “Least of all, for you.”

The anger that pulsed from him. Krys didn’t like it. It was so... protective. Palpatine went on,

“You offered her to rule, dear boy, but that is not what she wanted. Why would she turn for that?”

 _I offered her everything,_ Kylo thought, old wounds tearing asunder. But he avoided that. “Why would I do this for you?”

“Because _you_ want to rule.”

And the ground shook. And a fleet rose.

A horrifying fleet of Star Destroyers, untold in number, arose from the depths of the planet. There must have been hundreds.

Kylo and Krys couldn’t believe what they were seeing. They had known Palpatine to be equipped, but this? This was unheard of.

Palpatine relayed: “Every one of these can kill a planet… I will offer you them all if you get me the girl.”

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> /how much work to make TROS make sense welp let's give it a whirl/
> 
> Thank you for reading!  
> Find me at @KyloWithAZukoArc for Reylo content!


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Palpatine is overpowered as hell. Also, yall ready for some kisses? I am.

Master and Apprentice practically _crawled_ back to the ship, where the med droid saw to their injuries. Not a word had been said between them, until Krys cursed from the robot resetting a broken arm.

Kylo only stated, “You’re in no shape to go back through the Force Field.”

“ _Me_?” Krys retaliated, “You’re the one who got struck by _lightning_.”

It was true, Kylo’s chest still hurt from the electricity; it had both stunned him and felt like the hardest punch of his life. He was currently on bacta injections, but it would take time to circulate at the small doses required to heal.

“We barely made it through when we were at 100%,” Krys tacked on.

Kylo pulsed his hand to help the blood flow. “We still have half a day before the First Order is instructed to do anything,” he observed. “We will take the reminder time to recover before returning.”

“Not that The First Order can do anything against Palpatine, anyway...”

Both their minds recalled their enemy’s final words to them: “ _Each of these Star Destroyers… is a planet killer. You have no hope to refuse my bidding._ ”

The heavy weight of the air crushed their spirits yet again.

“How did he do it,” Krys exhaustively wondered. From returning to the grave, to building an army bigger than The First Order’s, to Snoke, to... “Everything. It makes no sense.”

“Of course he wouldn’t actually tell us,” Kylo spouted.

“All of this, and what for?” Krys led on. She was going to do it. She was breaching the subject. That subject. “For the _girl_?”

Kylo sighed immensely. He hated this, he had buried this. Now it was returning from the grave.

Krys pressed, “The name… Rey. Is this the same Rey as the famous bounty? The one who killed Snoke?”

“Rey didn’t kill Snoke,” Kylo bit.

And then could have cut his tongue out right there and then.

 _Fuck_ , he wasn’t supposed to say that.

Krys’ mind had suffered too many surprises today. What did her master just say?

“ _Excuse me_?” Krys heaved.

Kylo looked to his cracked helmet on the dashboard. _Shit. Shit. Shit shit shit._

Should he take back what he said? Should he lie?

This was the biggest - or, one of the biggest - secrets had in his life. How could he have been so thoughtless about it?

Krys eyed him with piercing intensity.

No, she would know if he lied.

Well. God. If the truth was coming out, it was coming all the way out.

“I did it. I killed Snoke.”

-

The continual streak of revelations was more overwhelming than the broken bones. Krys’ system swam in painkillers now, but her head drowned more from the twists and turns of the day.

“ _You_ killed Snoke? Your _master_?”

“I… It…,” Kylo didn’t have the words. There was so much.

“Was it to take his place on the throne?” Krys pried, excitement betraying her. “You struck him down to become Supreme Leader?”

He numbly stared at her in return.

What, he hadn’t? So then…?

“ _Look_ ,” she spoke impatiently to her Master. It was unexpected to be the one forcing _her_ will on him. She hadn’t done so since he agreed to train her. “I need to know exactly what we are dealing with. If Palpatine wants this _Rey_ girl for his plans, I need to have every detail. What… _happened_? Who _is she_?”

Kylo took a very deep breath.

“She’s no one.”

Krys could have slit his throat from the idiotic answer. She glared instead.

“ _No one_?” she retorted.

Kylo’s hand clenched.

He had never broached this subject with anyone.

He’d never articulated it.

It had eaten away at him for the past year… No, two years. This girl of Light he had only known for… a few weeks, _maybe_ , had ripped him apart, then left him with the pieces to put back together himself. Alone.

He’d done everything in his power to leave it behind.

And now he had to go get her.

And now he had to go get her with his new… _apprentice_.

Krys needed to know.

“ _Fine_ ,” Kylo released, “We have the fucking time. This is war intel now. You want to know about Rey? I’ll tell you. I’ll fucking tell you. This is the story of the girl named Rey Nobody and all the fuckshit that means.”

Krys wordlessly listened to her master spin apart.

She heard every word from him. He talked about the map to Luke Skywalker, how Rey had seen it. When he tried to pull it from her mind, that something activated inside her. A Force awakened, and it was unlike anything he had ever encountered before. The ways his eyes lit up in revery and hatred and bitterness and brokenness in speaking of it did not escape Krys.

“And when I… killed my father…,” Kylo went on, “She was there for it.”

Krys’ pokerface parted from that. Kylo’s good death. He had killed his father too? Like her?

Though he did not look like a Ren when he spoke of it. 

He did not revel in the memory.

No, it shattered him.

“We were at Starkiller Base, when the Resistance made their counterattack. A _horrible_ failure.”

He instinctively touched his scar from the recollection. So that was how he got it? It must have been when the planet imploded.

But Kylo kept talking, she didn’t even have a chance to inquire. The words tumbled out of him, until he arrived at the most curious part of the tale:

“And then… Snoke… _Palpatine_ … connected our minds. Rey’s and mine.”

“ _What?_ ” Krys inserted herself there.

It sounded so insane when Kylo said it aloud. Not even Hux knew about this part. He’d never been able to explain it. Never wanted to. The incredible intimacy that had arisen from the Force bond. And how the oneness made it all the sharper when it broke.

He didn’t say anything now. His hands covered his face on his knees.

Krys waited. The questions of _How_? and _Why_? boggled her mind, but she waited. 

“He coupled us close,” Kylo finally said, “Just to have me kill her. It was to be my last… good death. To complete… my training.”

Krys connected the dots. 

“So it was for her, then?” Krys prodded softly. “You killed Snoke, for her?”

Kylo hardly looked up. Misery colored his entire being. “I offered her everything. I offered to train her. To rule together. I killed my master for her. Everything...”

The commander of Darkness was no where within him. Krys barely recognized the man before her. He choked out, “And then she left.”

Krys knew it. 

She’d _known_ it.

But it didn’t feel like a victory right now.

Her Master’s power was bereft from him. He was long gone away from her in a distant land. Away where things could have been different. And not _this_.

So Krys kneeled.

He upstarted when he felt her touch his knee. He moved his hands, now looking down upon his Apprentice.

She braced his knee with tenderness and spoke:

“I would never betray you like that.”

And that was all she said.

Kylo saw his apprentice in full submission, on one knee, face downward, cradling him. He was the weakest he had ever been since the night they lost Starkiller. His father. His face.

And here was his Apprentice, the one who was to take his place. The one who was to overtake him in the best way possible. And she swore fealty? 

Not in a moment of strength. But in weakness?

Kylo’s breath faltered. He might have cried were he alone.

But she was here.

He wasn’t alone.

He lifted her chin with his gloved finger. Her determined eyes filled his gaze. He believed her.

He believed her.

And he lowered himself into her lips.

-

Krys received him in kind. Though her setting bones screamed against her, she would not have broken the kiss first even if it meant breaking her rib again. He softly pressed into her; there was no rush, no immediacy. Only warmth. Something utterly foreign.

He pulled back from her, gazing into the wells of her eyes. 

“I’m sorry,” he immediately apologized. “That isn’t. We shouldn’t.”

And Krys asserted, “You know you can take whatever you want.”

And he just looked at her.

And laughed.

How did she always make him laugh?

He stopped shortly though; his chest fought back from the shock of earlier. She had to catch her own breath hurt. She trembled, keeping in the position.

“God,” Kylo said, “Let’s get back to base first.”

And Krys grinned immensely.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Honest question, how are you all liking Kylo Ren with Krys? Do you like it, hate it? Only here for Reylo? Let me know!
> 
> Thank you so much for reading.
> 
> Find me on Tumblr as @KyloWithAZukoArc for Reylo content!


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Krys has thoughts. Kylo has thoughts. There are so many thoughts.

They were spent. After the injuries, overwhelming news, emotional outbursts, and daunting tasks, there was nothing left in them. Especially for Kylo.

“Rest, Master,” Krys had told him, rising back into her chair. “I’ll keep watch.”

He had a pained chuckle, “In your condition? If something goes wrong, what would you even do?”

“I’ll wake you up, then you can deal with it.”

They held small, snarky smiles for each other, and he nodded.

The med droid gave Kylo a sedative then for the pain, which knocked him out, letting his frayed nerve endings and burnt skin rejuvenate.

Giving Krys time to think.

Time she needed.

 _Rey…_ Krys held inward daggers for the Jedi. The one who got away.

There was a lot to process here. She went down the list.

First, Rey was certainly _not_ a weakling. Kylo spoke of her power in a way that made Krys nauseated. Yet Rey had refused him, refused the opportunity of a lifetime. _Fool_ , Krys cut. She played with her sabers, itching to test her might against this enemy prodigy.

Second, Rey was stubbornly Light side. She had refused everything Kylo offered to her because it was “wrong”? _Pathetic_. But so, how exactly did Palpatine plan to turn her? What would he offer Rey that could possibly tempt this girl? 

If Kylo couldn’t do it, what hope did Sidious have? Curious. Interesting.

Third, on turning Rey. That would mean there would be four Sith. Darth Sidious, Kylo Ren, Krys Ren, and Rey… Nobody. But The Rule of Two was still in full effect, as no doubt Palpatine was a traditional believer in it.

So two would have to die.

Krys shifted in her seat. It was obvious, his plan. Palpatine aimed to turn the The Last Jedi into his apprentice, as revenge against the Light, then he break his word, spinning back around to kill Kylo and Krys. From there, he would remake the First Order into the _Final_ Order and start his reign as the true Dark God of the galaxy.

Fuck, they _couldn’t_ bring Rey to him. It was clear this was a trap. They were just ploys, doing his dirty work. 

But they couldn’t _not_ do it either. With such incredible power at Palpatine’s disposal, refusing his order would mean certain death. Indeed, pulling this little mission was how they could to bide their time.

Could they procrastinate? Still do it but… slowly? While they figured out another tactic?

How much could Palpatine see into their minds for this treachery?

Should she even be thinking about this now?

 _Fuck, fuck, fuck fuck fuck,_ Krys thought. She hated this.

As much as she wanted to know about the girl who tore up her Master, she didn’t want to be bringing Rey _with them_. 

Which brought her to - Four: Rey was clearly Kylo’s weakness. With those two in the same room, nothing good could happen.

What if Rey swayed him? As much as Rey had hurt him, it was obvious he still held great feelings for the woman. Would it be possible for the great Supreme Leader to fall victim to her? Would he try to save Rey instead?

Krys held the utmost respect for her Master, but seeing his display of emotional wreckage shook her confidence. Where was his Ren? Where was his namesake? He should be wanting to destroy Rey; instead he was just… sad. Forlorn.

Rey had been the most wanted bounty in the galaxy apparently, but in the two or so years since leaving him, she had never been captured? That didn’t seem right.

Was Kylo secretly protecting her all this time?

Krys gripped her armrests, even with her bad hand. It throbbed, but she didn’t care. This Rey. This bitch. She would be their undoing for sure.

Krys was going to kill her.

 _No,_ Krys fought back the notion. If she killed Rey, then Palpatine would retaliate and kill _her_. And then, likely, just take Kylo to be his second. To combine the forces of the First and Final Order… Rule everything.

But Krys was not going to die in this.

She was _not_ going to die in this.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck, _fuck,_ ” she swore under her breath. 

She was trapped.

If she had been able-bodied enough to slice her sabers through the ship’s hull in a rage like her Master, she would have. 

Kylo was _hers_ , dammit.

Kylo was _hers_.

\- 

Hours later, Kylo awoke. 

_Still alive_ , he thought. Truly, Palpatine was letting them be, as he had sent them out on this excursion and had no further business with them. For now. Grateful for the ceasefire, Kylo felt mildly better than when he had fallen asleep. But he found Krys in the positively worst mood of her life.

“Your turn,” he offered. “We still have a few more hours before departure. I’ll take the shift.”

Krys had so many words for her Master. But there was no way she could present them to him now without it blowing up in a way that wouldn’t be helpful to her cause. So, begrudgingly, she silently nodded, and the med droid sedated her in kind.

Now it was Kylo’s turn to think.

 _Rey…_ He thought. He would be seeing her again. Dumbly, that was the first thought in his head. Not that they had to face death again in a few hours, or that Palpatine offered him enough firepower to rule the galaxy in a snap, or how Palpatine had been manipulating him practically since his birth. His first thought was Rey.

And he had butterflies in his stomach.

_Ridiculous._

But that vision he had - seeing Rey as a dark queen - was it really the future? Not just some concoction Palpatine had thrown into his head?

“ _Bring me the girl_ ,” Snoke had said. 

“ _Bring me the girl_ ,” Palpatine had said.

They truly were one in the same.

His stomach felt sick. Snoke… Palpatine… They - _he_ \- had whispered into Kylo’s head his entire life. It started when he was young. There wasn’t a time he could remember without the voices.

Snoke had been toying with him his whole existence. Kylo had been a puppet on a string. It made him think,

_Who would I have been without them?_

And his heart upstarted. Fuck. There it was again.

The call to the Light.

Even in this hellscape of a world in the heart of Darkness, there it was. Like a North Star in the black expanse of space. Small. But shining. And there. Sometimes overshadowed by clouds and storms. But always there.

He normally rejected this train of thought, desperate to hold onto the Darkness he devoted his life to. But with this new knowledge of only ever having been a puppet, he could only wonder. If things had been different, would he have stayed at the Academy? Would he have grown to be fighter in the Resistance? A senator? A smuggler?

Would Luke have still tried to kill him?

Kylo began spiraling.

Everything was wrong. A lie. Nothing made sense. Nothing was certain. It was insurmountable. Overwhelming. He shouldn’t be here. They were headed straight into death’s arms. He couldn’t do this. He couldn’t do this. He couldn’t do this.

But he wasn’t alone.

He looked up to Krys. The one who swore loyalty to him. Not out of fear, not out of lust for power - though that was how it started. Today, she said she would never betray him. She was there for _him_.

Her face was the most relaxed he had ever seen it, an unusual sight to be sure. His nerves calmed for just a moment.

And then started back up again.

What would happen if he told her he had doubts? About everything? The First Order? The fucking Light side?

The Supreme Leader having doubts? He could already hear her opinion:

“You’re _weak_ ,” she would say.

There was no way she would accept him. Not for who he truly was.

He shouldn’t have kissed her.

He really shouldn’t have.

Now there were _expectations._ But they were also supposed to be getting Rey, apparently. And how would he react to seeing her?

_Shit._

This was all so _fucked._

Rey rejected his Darkness. Krys would reject his Light.

Truly, he was alone.

He could cry. 

He could fucking _die._

Then he remembered the Force Field outside. Before anything, they would have to to get through _THAT_.

He sardonically chuckled. Maybe he would get his wish. 

_-_

The 24 hour turn around time was almost up. Curiously, the light outside never changed throughout the duration of their stay. It was one constant storm.

 _Odd_ , he thought, _but no matter._ “Med droid,” he instructed, “Awaken Krys.”

“Yes, sir,” obeyed the droid, and, in pumping in a new chemical, Krys awoke within mere seconds. She immediately flit to her feet, sabers up, ready for anything.

“Calm yourself, everything is fine,” he instructed. “Sit. You’re undoing all your healing.”

The drugs had numbed any pain Krys could have felt; her upstart very well may have torn something up.

“It’s time to go,” Kylo informed. Krys caught herself, taking in the understanding of his words, and breathed. Carefully, she retreated to her seat.

They braced themselves. The trip would be even more difficult than last time, as this round, the external ships wouldn’t be creating an opening for them. They would have to go through the belt at its full intensity. The whole way.

“Are you ready?” Kylo asked his Apprentice.

“Ready,” she shot air through her nose like a bull.

This was how she was going to release her anger. If not through a blazing rage with her sabers, then through this obstacle course. Kylo felt an incredible swarm of her Darkness around them.

It nearly frightened him.

He had to catch up to it.

Setting their course, he tapped into his frustrations and fear, as he often lead his Apprentice to do, and channeled them through the Force.

One way or another, they were going to survive this.

And he took off.

The ship lifted from the ground of icy, wind-swept terrain of Exegol and flew into the tumultuous skies. Navigating was already easier the second time around. The exterior shell came closer and closer to them, flashing and sparking and spinning.

Krys positively chomped at the bit. Kylo, grateful for her focus, aligned his energy with hers for the coming onslaught.

But then it simply parted. 

Like a curtain. Or more accurately, like a drop of soap in oily water, the astroids spread apart for clear passage.

Kylo and Krys stood dumbfounded.

And then Krys raged, “That _motherfucker_. He could do that the whole time? He’s making fun of us. Asshole. _ASSHOLE._ ” She very near screamed in her seat.

Kylo sighed in complete defeat.

It was a reminder. They _had_ to do Palpatine’s bidding.

With power this insurmountable, they had no choice. He looked up, and there was the First Order main ship, surrounded by its sister fleet, waiting for them.

And he buried the Lightness within him once more.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THE PULL TO THE LIGHT
> 
> Thank you so much for reading!
> 
> Find me on Tumblr as @KyloWithAZukoArc for Reylo content!


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oh my god you guys are you ready for Kylo to give post-nightmare comfort? Let's goooo.

Upon reception of The Supreme Leader and his Apprentice back into The First Order, Hux had many, many questions. The Master and Apprentice being wheeled to the Med Bay did not delay any of them - “How did you open the barrier? Did Palpatine do this to you? You saw him? What did he say?” - and all the rest. But of all the comments Kylo chose to respond to, it was Hux saying “That was quick” that caught Kylo and Krys off guard. 

“What do you mean?” Kylo scraped back, now lying on a hospital bed, Krys placed on her own mattress. The attendants saw to his burns and her splints.

“What do you mean what do I mean?” Hux reeled, “You go through the barrier, find the enemy - apparently enter man-to-man combat - and come back with the asteroids opening themselves to you - all under an _hour_?”

An _hour_?

Krys and Kylo shot looks to each other. 

“We were there for 22,” Kylo hit. 

Hux posed at them quizzically, pointing to a timekeeper on the wall. “Uh, no, you weren’t.”

And Kylo addressed to the mechanical carekeeper from the trip,

“Med Droid, what does your timekeeper say?”

“There is a discrepancy, sir. My records state we were there on the planet for 22 hours, but my timekeeper has synced back with our ship’s, which claims only an hour has passed.”

Krys intook a breath. 

They were both right?

 _Another_ impossibility.

“More of Palpatine’s tricks,” Kris gnashed her teeth together.

“A time anomaly,” Kylo mused. “It seems Exegol’s flow of time is extremely sped up… compared to ours.”

“That’s nonsense,” Hux bashed in disbelief, “There couldn’t be that large of a difference between its surface and right outside the orbit.”

“No, it’s like a bubble,” Krys thought with her Master. “The barrier. Do you think that was why it was so strong? Going through it is…”

“Entering a new flow of time,” Kylo finished her thought. Yet again, he was mystified.

Hux threw up his hands. “This is ludicrous!”

“Think about it!” Krys pressed, fire in her words, “How else could he have built an army since his death? It’s been 30 years to us since he went away, but to him…”

“It’s been over 500,” Kylo completed. A beat of horror passed over the trio.

“HOW?” Hux finally released. “There is no precedent for this. How could he manage this insanity? How would he even be alive all that time?”

Krys’ brows pinched. “I think you’re right, Master, when you spoke of Exegol being the key. Perhaps when he resurrected himself from the far side… he intentionally came back through Exegol for this reason. It could do this… somehow.”

“That cannot be all of it,” Kylo’s mind raced. “All my research into Exegol has never mentioned something to this scale. We are still missing something.”

Krys thought of the statues and graves they had passed into seeing Palpatine’s throne. She could still feel its creeping atmosphere sink into her soul. What was with it? It made her sick.

“We’ll figure it out…,” Krys quietly blanked, her shoulders lowering, the remainder of her strength beginning to dwindle.

“Don’t you fade on me,” Hux pulled, “You both still have to give a proper debrief. I expect - ”

“Leave it alone, General,” Kylo pushed, “Krys and I have much to discuss before we can present to the leaderboard. We will touch base at 0700 upon the next day cycle. Do not disturb us with your inquiries until then. You are dismissed.”

The General was going to argue, when one of the attendants backed up the Supreme Leader: “Please, General Hux, they are in no condition for questioning...” She motioned to the burns across Kylo’s chest, the entry point of Palpatine’s lightning. It held patterns that extended down and through his entire torso. Krys was mesmerized by it.

And with that, Hux was waved away by Kylo, and the General stomped the entire way out.

A moment of silence was enjoyed from the rabid cur. The nurse tended to the Apprentice’s twisted ankle, when Krys asked Kylo in a gravelly voice,

“So since when do you call me by my actual name?”

And Kylo’s neck stiffened. Krys had to chuckle, “Easy,” she said, “I just thought it was funny. We have much to discuss now, _do_ _we_?”

And Kylo looked at her. A proper Dark Master would smack the impish grin off her face. But he smiled instead.

“I’m so fucking hungry,” he said.

And Krys laughed once more. 

For now, all they needed was rest. To recuperate. Palpatine depended on them to bring him Rey. So he could wait while they regained their strength to do so.

He could wait for an eternity.

-

In the middle of the night cycle, Krys awoke. She awoke from something she had not had in a very long time.

The dream.

Within it, she felt the nostalgic hold of being back in the Dark swamp. The power coursed through her veins, and she inhaled its pleasure. She recalled the joy. And looked up to her indomitable self. So long ago, seeing her face this way seemed so far off. But now it was like looking into a mirror.

The red in the vision revealed themselves as her _two_ sabers. Krys grasped onto the dream, to keep it going. She didn’t want to lose it again. Not after being without for so long. As it progressed, her eyes glanced down to the enemies at her dark persona’s feet.

But for the first time in her life, Krys recognized them.

She knew who they were.

Her Master.

Kylo Ren.

With Rey in his arms.

Krys screamed awake, shooting to her knees. But this round the numbing agent was gone. Instantly, her ribs kicked back, cutting her off.

“Fu-ck!” she exclaimed, forgetting where she was. It was a moment before she registered the hospital wing in the darkness, and Kylo’s bed next to hers.

“You alright?” he quietly asked. The unexpected sharp edge in Krys’ chest made it even harder to catch her breath. It was a long moment before she could collect herself to speak.

What had she seen?

What could she possibly say about it?

She had no time to process.

“It’s nothing,” she grit her teeth, shaking off the chill in her blood, “Did I wake you?”

“No,” he replied.

Sweat beat down her brow, and she cleared it off with her good hand.

“Nightmare?” Kylo inquired. Krys hesitated to confirm. But her Master had already seen her reaction; it made no sense to deny it.

“Yes,” she peeped out. The echoes of it still clenched the corners of her mind. The red... his face...

“Me too,” Kylo said.

And the strangest air hung in the air between them.

“Should I ask?” Krys offered.

“It’s...,” Kylo started. “Just visions. The same as before.”

Krys clenched her teeth, “The one with Rey turning?”

He looked away. “Well, a lot more happens than just that. But yes.”

Kylo could feel his Apprentice burning from his corner of the room. The Force told all.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

She bit her tongue, what should she say? When she didn’t respond, he repeated,

“What’s _wrong_?”

“Do you ask me that as your Apprentice, or as a person?” Krys posed.

Kylo quizzically eyed her direction. “What do you mean?”

A blur began to coat her eyesight. She fought it back, controlling her voice tightly. “Do you demand to know, or do you care to know?”

Kylo examined her question.

“I care to know,” he answered.

“Then it’s nothing,” she squeaked back.

And Krys broke.

She actually, fully broke.

Krys never fucking cried. And when she did, they were only hot, angry tears. Not this weeping idiocy that she had no handle on. Not this mockery of her being. In front of her goddamned Master, no less.

God she tried to hold it in, but it was over. Her embarrassment was palpable.

It wasn’t just the dream now. It had started the madness, but now everything was spilling out. Every near death experience. Every stress in training. The pressure to perform. The panic of the learning curve. The fuckery in her head.

A floodgate opened.

She tried to leave, tried to hobble away on her twisted ankle, save what face she could, but between her lack of judgement and the uncertainty of steps, so too the darkness and the IV string, she tripped.

And then she froze. She stilled. Her muscles tensed.

Kylo had caught her?

“Krys,” he whispered, propping her up with his hands, her legs weak and unfit. Her body was screaming in every possible way, and she pulled to leave, but he wouldn’t let her go. “Stop, stop,” he urged.

She couldn’t look at him. She couldn’t even reciprocate his touch. All she could stupidly say was, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”

And he pulled her into his chest.

It hurt so much, his wounds and hers. But he didn’t care. And, after a moment, neither did she.

Her Master was comforting her? This wasn’t the way. He should be isolating her, letting the pain take over entirely. Or stoking it. But here he was... trying to soothe it?

It wasn’t long before she relented. And then completely buried herself inside him. Her sobs wet his bandages. She couldn’t even speak anymore.

 _So weak_ , she thought to herself.

And Kylo put a hand on the back of her head, lightly rubbing it.

“Is it Palpatine? Is he in your head?” Kylo guessed.

Krys turned over the situation in her mind. She had _just_ told her Master that she would never betray him. And literally _that night_ she had dreamt she would?

With the Rey girl in his arms?

She clenched his sides, her fingernails sinking into him. He ignored it.

“Would you ever betray me, Master?” she barely got out.

“Is that what you saw?” he said.

She took it. If she wanted to get out of explaining the foresight - her killing her master, and killing Rey, who was the linchpin in their plans - then this was how she would have to spin it.

“Yes.”

Because she wasn’t lying. In the dream, he had betrayed her. In certain terms.

And her self in the dream had reveled in the kill.

Reveled in the Ren.

“This was a Force vision? Or Palpatine?” Kylo inquired.

“I...” She didn’t know. Her entire adult life she had had the vision. She had clung to it. Her destiny. It was hers. She could feel secure in it. 

But now?

Chalking it up to being Palpatine... it winded her so much. But also she had not gotten it back since seeing the dark god. Maybe he had gotten inside her skull, saw the vision, and brought it back? Twisting it?

Could he do that?

“I don’t know,” was all she said.

And Kylo lifted her chin. She hated for him to see her like this, but she gave her bravest face.

“I’ll never betray you, Apprentice,” he promised.

Her heart sputtered alive for just a moment. Before the uncertainty came crashing back down.

She wanted to believe him. Wanted to trust in her Master so badly. But now, with the future spelled out, could she really?

And could she trust herself?

Her desperation frayed out. No amount of promises or sweet nothings would secure anything.

So for this moment, she would just take what she could.

And she kissed him.

She pushed up on her tiptoes, pulled his head down, and she kissed him.

He enjoyed her in return.

There was nothing guaranteed, she knew. And she reminded herself that she was his dog. She was his weapon. To be taught. And used. She shouldn’t expect anything else.

But the way he held her made her want so much more. Everything. Every part of him. Every side. To be by his side. As his equal.

But for now,

“Please Master,” she said, “Just a little longer.”

“We have all night,” he said.

And they fell asleep beside each other in the same bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PS I actually love Hux a lot. Please believe me.
> 
> Thank you for reading!
> 
> Find me on Tumblr as @KyloWithAZuloArc for Reylo content!


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shorter chapter -- Debriefs and strategizing and there is a lot of talking, Imma be real.

The debrief in the morning went as well as expected: it did not go well. The leadership struggled to comprehend what their almighty ruler had to say. If it had been anyone besides the Supreme Leader (and his dog) reporting the news, no one would have ever believed them. Here, though, the board had to accept what their leader said, albeit with very limited understanding.

“You’re saying Snoke was really Palpatine the whole time?” General Pryde inquired, trying to wrap his head around the outlandish concept. “Forgive me, Supreme Leader, but why wouldn’t he have just come out as Palpatine from the start?”

“That is what we were wondering,” Krys backed up the question, remembering her and Kylo’s discussion the previous night. Now sitting by Kylo’s right hand in a mobile chair, her current mode of transportation, she looked up to her Master for his lead.

“We believe this -” Kylo began, “Palpatine has created his own timeline on Exegol, but while he has capabilities to reach the outside world, they are limited. He would have needed an ‘outside man’ to operate directly within the rest of the universe. And the only person he could trust was himself. Hence the clone.”

“Meanwhile, as the time passed in his world,” Krys added, “he prepared his armies in secret, until he was ready to strike.”

Pryde’s mind boggled. Years and years and years ago, Pryde had been a lieutenant in the Empire; he still could remember the deathly cold presence of the Emperor like it was yesterday. The eyes of Darth Sidious had been inescapable. The absence had been felt even harder. But now, he was back? It was difficult to accept… 

“Snoke and Palpatine…,” Pryde led on, “While, admittedly, they have similarities, do they not have wildly different approaches to this Rey bounty? Snoke was going to kill her, but now Palpatine wants to _turn_ her? If they were the same person… that doesn’t track.”

“Snoke possessed his very own distinct Force Signature,” Kylo replied, “It would not surprise me if, as an imperfect clone, he went… a little rogue at times.”

“So, what then?” Hux sliced, “Does this mean Palpatine is claiming ownership of the First Order, as the ‘true’ Snoke?”

“He actually offered his fleet to us…,” Krys inserted. “In exchange for this _Rey_ girl.”

“ _What_? That makes no sense,” Hux scoffed, having no nostalgia for the former great emperor. “No life form spends over 500 years on a galaxy ending army, just to hand it over for some girl.”

“For once, we agree, Hux,” Krys related. Kylo clenched his jaw, and clarified:

“I believe it was presented as an incentive… But it is a ultimately a threat. Showing us his power, bending us to his will.”

“What’s stopping him from just claiming The First Order as is? Why threaten? This feels convoluted,” Hux berated.

“Perhaps it is his being tied to Exegol… ,” Krys supposed, “He chooses to stay there, for whatever reason, but he can’t _rule_ from there. And his clone didn’t work out… So… He is looking into alternatives.”

“The Jedi,” Kylo kept his voice as neutral as possible, “He plans to turn her, likely to rule with him…” _Though, again, Rey would never go for that,_ Kylo privately thought to himself. But the visions in his head said otherwise. 

He didn’t know what to believe.

“Palpatine could have just joined Forces with you!” Hux almost yelled. “Why _her_?”

“It’s a revenge tale on the cosmic Force itself,” Krys replied, “You wouldn’t understand.”

“Oh please, _no_ _one_ understands this.”

And on and on and on the debrief and follow up questions went. Hours and hours later, the meeting was called to an end, as there was still other ongoing First Order business that required attention. Mostly, everyone just walked away feeling very, very confused.

-

Master and Apprentice dined together that night. Despite beating the previous day’s events to the ground from “sun up” to “sun down,” there was still so much to cover. Over rare steaks and perfectly portioned carbs and vegetables on the side, they would continue their discussion.

As Kylo settled to take off his helmet, Krys gazed upon the visage of her Master - and the vision of him dead on the floor slapped her in the face again.

She shook her head. _It’s just Palpatine_ , Krys reasoned with herself. _He’s just fucking with me. He’s just fucking with me. It wasn’t until he got his claws in my head that I saw Kylo and Rey. He’s just fucking with me._

Right?

“Apprentice,” Kylo said, snapping Krys out of her thoughts. He sipped on a glass of Corellian whisky, “What do you think will happen if we bring Rey to Palpatine?”

“He kills us,” Krys dropped, taking a swig of her own as well. “He wouldn’t trust us to join him. We would always be plotting his downfall. Rule of Two and all. But if we don’t bring him Rey, we are also dead.”

“Then we are on the same wavelength,” he commented. “We have no choice but to take him down. But how…” Kylo swirled his draining glass.

A beat passed in silence as they partook of their food in contemplation. 

Then it hit her. “Hey… what was with that weird machine Palpatine was hooked up to?”

Kylo’s eyes shot up to her. She kept his gaze as they wordlessly stared, and gears started turning in both of their heads. She smirked evilly.

-

Late, late, late, late into the night, Master and Apprentice now had the real start of a _plan_.

A sense of determination was renewed in Kylo from it. They could do this. They could overturn Palpatine. Kylo would remain on his rightful place on the throne, and no one would ever challenge him again.

And he could see Rey again.

That part Krys despised.

There was no way around it, though: for their plan to work, Rey was required, and Kylo was required, and Krys was required. 

There was no way around Kylo seeing the Jedi.

The image of Rey in his arms shot hellfire in Krys’ bones.

Either seeing Rey would be the utter end of them, or Palpatine was sowing discord to disrupt their solidarity. The uncertainty pinned pain in her stomach.

 _“I’ll never betray you, Apprentice,”_ Kylo had said.

Krys would just have to trust him.

In other news, though - 

“I will inform Hux that he will be acting Commander in my stead for the next few weeks,” Kylo said, retiring to his quarters, “For this mission to work, it is time we devoted serious work on your training.”

That part, Krys loved.

“See you in the morning at 0500,” she wished, retiring to her quarters with med droids at her side.

She couldn’t heal fast enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back to our regular scheduled program as Kylo being a teacher, you know, like how the title goes.
> 
> Thank you for reading!
> 
> Find me on Tumblr as @KyloWithAZukoArc for Reylo content!


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Training and training and... oh.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I used to play super smash bros melee a lot so this was really fun to write.  
> Also. I swear. Smut will come. Eventually.

The next couple of weeks passed in a mix of excruciating impatience to heal and wishing training would never end. 

In the beginning, Kylo had her focus primarily on Force drills, but upon being cleared for physical combat by the doctor, they switched to practicing with their lightsabers. Day in and day out, it was all they did: training, and more training, and making preparations for the mission.

Krys loved every minute of it. It was straight out of a dream. When she aspired to become a Sith, this was how she imagined it: her training everyday with her Master. Growing and honing each others’ skills.

Like nothing else mattered.

The two of them sparred in the dojo, Kylo assuming the classic Jedi forms he learned from the Academy for her to fight against. She would learn her enemy. Today, he was showcasing Form VI - Niman - in particular.

“This is a form of balance, of moderation. It is an amalgamation of the others I have shown you.”

Kylo fought in this style that did not leave him very exposed to attacks, though it lacked aggression. Overall, it was a well rounded approach. While its bladework was modest and simple, he implemented more Force blasts than he usually engaged. Krys responded by adapting her Master’s usual M.O. - pure belligerence. In kind to Kylo’s Force use, she took Darkness to boost her strength, and swung again and again and again at her Master, full energy.

“The thing is,” Kylo spoke between her strikes, “Niman also encourages creativity.”

Kylo then utilized Krys’ forward momentum, using the Force to push her farther ahead than she was prepared for, and she lost her footing.

In that split second, Kylo swooped around with the blunt end of his saber and bashed it into her spine, and she smacked to the ground. Immediately, she felt the heat of red plasma at the back of her neck.

“You’re dead. Again,” her Master said.

Krys snorted in frustration. “Well, what should I have done? You were barely attacking me. I had to make _something_ happen.”

“Balance for balance, Apprentice,” he pulled his saber back, letting her rise. “The Jedi are all about defense and waiting for the right moment. So don’t lose your head. They’ll take advantage of it.”

Krys laughed, brushing herself off.

“Somethingfunny?” Kylo hissed. 

“Just hilarious hearing yousay that.”

“Watch it.”

“Sorry.”

Kylo stepped back several feet, cueing her to reset.

So far, her Master’s swings this round had been tight and quick, keeping his defenses up. Though it also meant that he was not hitting as hard as he normally did, so blocking him had been easier. But Krys had to figure out how to get inside his walls.

Her Master wanted her to wait? To get creative? Fine. She could get creative.

She double handed one of her sabers, then, and placed the other in her belt.

Kylo raised an eyebrow at her when she did that. And she raised one back, slightly mockingly, and held a protective stance. With him shaking his head, he attacked first.

This time, she was the one to inch away. She deflected his attacks in falling back, knowing she had no hope of getting inside his range with her one short blade. But, in doing so, she patiently waited for the right moment. And finally, it came.

Kylo delivered a single hard swipe that made his follow-through take just a hairbreadth longer than his other attempts. It was all she needed.

Following his flow, she batted him with one armed hand down the arc he followed, and, using the other, drew the saber at her waist. She cut it on and _threw it_ at her Master.

He had to further lean into his follow-through to dodge it. Her blade went sailing behind him, but his momentum now was too much, showing his back unprotected. Krys punished it. 

She attacked him with the other saber still in hand. Kylo barely had the time to spin around to block it, and though he did so successfully, Krys had called back the free saber in that moment. She caught it at his neck. 

The heat of the kyber energy lightly grazed the skin near his jugular. Both Master and Apprentice panted wildly then, as Krys left her weapon to his throat for a long moment.

Eyes locked with hers, Kylo slowly took one hand off his weapon and lightly grasped the wrist that could bring him instant death. She cut off the danger then, and Kylo brought her fingers close.

“Treacherous,” he commented, the corner of his lips upturning. And he kissed her fingers. 

And she couldn’t help herself now.

In the back of her mind, Krys knew this was all heading towards an end goal. But that end goal could rip her precious master from her forever.

She needed him in her grasp for good. She needed to stake her claim.

And if she was going to do it, she was going to do it.

She flung herself at her Master then, right there in the dojo.

Closing the distance between them, she ravaged him. She pushed and pulled on his lips with hers, threw her tongue into his mouth, and intertwined her fingers in his hair. And he, surprised at first, responded in kind. For the first time, he really explored what it meant to kiss her.

But Krys noticed something: his rough kisses weren’t… smooth. He put a lot into them, but there was too much pressure, not enough of a dance back and forth. Unpracticed. But no matter though. She was still fully into it.

So she hooked her legs around his waist. He adjusted, keeping her tight against him. With much care to not break the connection, he lowered her to the ground. His mind was blank now, save for feeling his Apprentice. He didn’t even register the decision to start grinding against her. 

And then he stopped.

And Krys panicked. 

Why did he stop? Why did he stop?

“Master?” she looked up to him, evaluating his aura. She searched through his reservation. It hid into itself.

“I…,” he started. Her mind immediately raced.

Did he not want to cross the line after all, between Master and Apprentice?

Were Sith not actually supposed to engage in… such activities?

Was he holding out for Rey?

She held his face, pushing the hair out of his eyes. “What’s wrong? Talk to me,” Krys said.

“I’m… not sure,” he said. “… I’ve just, I’ve never...” He swallowed. He didn’t look at her. He didn’t finish his sentence.

Krys just stared.

The man who could have whatever he wanted, he had never indulged in such things?

He was nervous?

With her?

So she cradled him. She pulled him into her arms and held him.

The strangest mix of emotions passed through Krys as she ran her fingers through his hair. Surprise at the circumstances, tenderness for her lover, but also… possessiveness. She would be his first.

Kylo was going to be hers.

She whispered sinfully into his ear: “I can take care of you.”

But she felt conflict within him. Was he holding himself back?

“Look at me…,” she softly cooed, “Look at me… Kylo.”

And she pushed her robes aside, exposing her chest. She took his hand and placed it where her heart was. Kylo’s mouth lied agape, and she spake,

“Where you gave me your energy, I still feel you there. Everyday,” she confessed. “Your power courses through my veins. You’ve… been inside me before.” And she kissed his knuckles.

Kylo’s heart skipped a beat.

He wasn’t used to this. He always held control, but here, he completely froze. Seeing and touching her skin made his mind go numb.

But he knew exactly what she was talking about.

In the Force connection with… Rey… there had been an intimacy unlike anything he had ever encountered before. When he touched hands with Rey for the first time, there had been such a rush; like destinies intertwining, seeing the visions; it felt like they had become one.

And so he had carried Rey in his heart from then on. 

She was always in the back of his mind.

Scavenger.

And now… Krys felt that way with him?

Then there would be no going back.

Krys couldn’t stand his silence. Her heart began to break from it. Until her Master finally said,

“I’ve been inside you so many times.”

And she fucking moaned.

He lowered himself back onto her, and started to suckle on her breast. She grabbed his hair.

“Your spirit terrifies me,” Krys said. “Your rage fills me.”

He moved his palm to massage the other, and she moaned even more.

“Kylo,” she said his name. “Kylo.”

And he captured her lips once again.

In breaking the kiss, she stared at him, balancing contentment, lust, sweetness, and more vulnerability she had ever touched upon in her life. A light smile came out of her without thought. And Kylo’s eyes were wells of nervousness, desire, and something else Krys could not place. Off kilter.

“Do… you want this?” Krys whispered with concern, tracing her hand down his scar. “Kylo?”

His eyes locked with hers, a strange sadness behind them. She waited for his reply with a held breath.

Kylo had never opened himself to experience these kinds of things. Between the philosophies of the Jedi, to the cage of Snoke, these tapped parts of himself he had locked away. And it was happening so fast.

“I’m not…,” Kylo’s face went red with embarrassment. He could barely choke out his words. “I’m not ready.”

 _Pathetic_ , he cursed himself. He was the Supreme Leader, for Christ’s sake, who deserved to be feared and respected, but right now he just wanted to crawl into a hole and never come out. _She must think I’m pathetic._

He was surprised to see his Apprentice, not veiled by anger or condescension, but with a soft expression. Krys didn’t do soft.

“I won’t pry. Whenever you are,” she kissed his cheek. “I offer myself to you. I want you to have all of me. When you’re ready.”

Kylo could have cried.

What was with this? He should take her right then and there on the dojo floor. But here he was again, always fighting with himself. And here she was again, submitting to him.

Why couldn’t he ever decide what he wanted?

“Shh,” Krys said, “I can feel the Force twist around you. Here, lie down.”

And she scooted to the side for her Master. And once again they were on the dojo floor together. Funny how they always seemed to end up there.

Krys cuddled up next to his side as he lied on his back. His arm was her pillow, and he rubbed her shoulder up and down, listening to the hum of the ship.

And they didn’t say anything.

Because they didn’t need to.

And the exhaustion of the training suddenly hit them both. And they fell asleep.


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I PROMISED YOU SMUT I DELIVER
> 
> If you want -Rey smut- instead of OC smut, I have other works for you! I suggest "He Loved Her on Top" or "The Stranger in Her Town"
> 
> Reylo smut will happen in this story later <3

Many weeks ago, Krys had asked during their planning over dinner, “Are there any leads on the Jedi?”

Kylo sipped on his fourth whiskey that night. “The problem is there are too many. She would theoretically still be with the main Resistance hub. And as you already know, their tactic of evading us has been to spread unending rumors of where they actually are.”

“A wild goose chase,” Krys took up her third chilled fine liquor. “I see. So you need actually _good_ intel.” Krys took a drunken swig. “Leave it to me.”

“What do you mean?” Kylo inquired.

“How do you think I killed your Knights?” Krys smiled. ”Don’t you know… I had to find them first.”

-

It was time.

Preparations were complete. In the morning, Kylo and Krys would be departing for an undercover mission. Or rather, Kylo would be undercover. Krys would just be herself. But not Krys the Apprentice. She would be Krys the orphan. The scrounger. The fighter. 

Sometimes smuggler.

Krys looked at herself in the mirror. She had donned the clothes she wore when she had first met Kylo. They were nothing special, actually quite ill fitting. In fact she had probably stolen them. She couldn’t remember.

They sent her flying back to her previous life. When she was without direction. Making shit up as she went. Ceaselessly searching for _something_ , but didn’t know what.

How times had changed. 

While she should feel a sense of pride at how far she had come, seeing herself in these clothes only brought back painful memories. 

One more reason to get this mission over with as soon as possible. So she and Kylo could return to their lives again. 

Well, that was the plan anyway.

Krys looked up, over the mirror. There was mounted the scythe she had taken from Vicrul over a year ago. It remained one if her most valued possessions, what had gotten her to her position now.

A position she did not want to lose.

She breathed.

It was going to be fine.

They would get Rey. 

They would execute their plan.

They could rid themselves of all this nonsense. And go back to normal. 

Normal. 

Normal?

Normal. 

_Normal_ , she thought. And forced herself to go to bed.

-

Kylo, once again, was pacing in his room. Once again, Rey was on his mind.

So long ago, they had shared visions of each other. Rey had said she saw him turn. And he had seen her turning. But after the fiasco on Crait, Kylo had buried these possibilities. As Snoke had been the one to connect their minds… then he must have concocted the visions, fantasies, just to stoke Kylo’s weakness. To bring Rey to him, for Kylo to kill her.

But they were falsehoods. They had to be. Ultimately, he stayed with the First Order. And Rey rejected him. Clearly, they were on their own pathways. He with the Dark, she with the Light. Her halfway across the galaxy and on the run; him busy with the First Order. Never to cross each other again.

But now, with Palpatine demanding they bring him Rey, the Supreme Leader and the Jedi were on another collision course.

And he couldn’t wait to see her.

 _No. Stop_ , Kylo spoke to himself, _Stop it._ There was nothing to justify this. Rey and him were never meant to be. It was a manipulated affair. In the end, they were enemies.

They would always be enemies.

But now with the new vision of Rey on the throne. Had his visions been correct from the beginning? Or was it just Palpatine - formerly Snoke - pulling the strings?

Surely Palpatine would not make a fake vision that he did not trust in himself?

So Kylo’s visions of Rey turning had been real? 

But it still did not mean that she would wind up at his side…

He clenched his saber again, ready to destroy more furniture.

And then he sighed.

He needed to calm down.

He couldn’t falter. He had to stick to the plan and not get distracted. 

He reminded himself that Rey was their pawn in all this. A pawn. And a pawn’s place was not in the heart of the Supreme Leader. Especially when there was someone else now.

There was someone else.

And yet, Kylo’s heart could not be redirected. It wanted what it wanted.

The Ren of it all.

And he sat on his bed.

God. This was stupid. 

Why were his sights always set in far off lands that could not exist? Why was it never here? In front of his face?

He touched his scar.

Then clenched his fist.

He made a decision. He would not be swayed. He would stay the course. He had the entire First Order at his beckoning. He had his Apprentice at his side. There was nothing else he needed, right?

_Right?_

-

Krys slept soundly that night. Though nerves always played a part in everything, there was nothing else she could do but make sure she was at full strength for the mission. So she relinquished herself to the covers.

When there was a knock at her door.

She roused awake, always a light sleeper, something that had been ingrained into her bones from living on the streets. She instinctively reached for a saber under her pillow, though through the sobering adrenaline, she felt something.

Kylo’s presence, beyond the door.

“Yes?” her voice cracked. 

And the door slid open to a blackened silhouette in the darkness. She could barely register his face. 

“Master? Is something wrong?” Krys sat up. She never had visitors. Late night messages for First Order business, yes, but no visitors. Least of all, her Master. He said nothing, only inching closer to her bed. “Master?” she repeated.

And he bent over her.

And kissed her. 

-

Kylo and Krys, Master and Apprentice, Apprentice and Master, were a mangle of blankets and discovery. Of release, of want, awkwardness and hurt and need and longing and pain and satisfaction.

And possession.

He anxiously lied back on the bed, naked, heart racing, straddled by his just as naked Apprentice. No, she was not his Apprentice in this moment. She was his lover. An equal. Or even above him. As she clearly had more experience than he did.

Krys’ lips were softly tucked into his, her hands on either side of his face. She relished this. Kylo noted that her touch was… strangely tender now.

He asked her,

“Before…”

“Mm?” Krys hummed, giving his neck attention.

“Before… when I stopped… I thought you would call me weak,” he said.

Krys stilled. He went on:

“Was it just because I’m your Master that you didn’t?”

Krys didn’t look at him, didn’t speak for a long time. Kylo thought, _She did think I was weak._ He frustratedly pulled her chin to face him again. “Tell me,” he commanded.

Krys’ eyes held depths of longsuffering. She finally gathered her thoughts and managed to relay:

“My first time… was not by choice,” she croaked out. “When you told me it was going to be your first…,” she moved into herself, “… I wanted it to be special…. What I couldn’t have.”

His steadfast expression broke for her. He had not expected that.

So he pulled her close. The sheer terror he felt from the Force of her memories made him want to be her shield.

“Shall we go on another revenge quest after this?” he half joked into her ear.

“No worries. It’s been taken care of.”

And Kylo laughed. Krys was raised up and down from his heaving chest, and she smiled.

Why would Kylo expect anything less?

He then took Krys’ face into his palms. He stared deep into her with piercing intent.

“Teach me,” he said to his lover.

_Make me forget about her. Make me yours._

All the air left Krys’ lungs then. She could have cried.

She could have.

But she kissed him instead. 

_You are mine,_ shethought, _You are mine._

-

Krys would teach him. But she would wanted to care for him first. 

She slowly inched back towards his hips, kissing him all the way down. He was more than ready for her, and she touched him with the strangest sweetness. He watched as she took him into her mouth, slowly and lovingly pulsing up and down. The minute she first pulled up, he groaned the most pathetically beautiful noise she had heard in all her time. 

He took her hair into his hand, watching as she serviced him with the most kindness she had ever held for anyone. Krys adored him; she adored him until he was already about to cum.

“I’m… I’m already…,” Kylo could barely get out. 

She didn’t stop though, she kept it going, wanting him to spill into her, to taste him, savor him. And he overflowed.

She swallowed every bit as he tersely held her head against him.

As his muscles unwound, she released him, smiling.

“You’re wonderful,” she told him. It was the most honest thing she had said to anyone. 

And for that second, she was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. 

He reached for her, and she crawled back into his embrace. 

“That was amazing,” he said, still catching his breath. She nuzzled into him.

“Now me,” she said.

And Kylo’s heart skipped a beat. 

She went to lie next to him and began with his hand. She guided it to her, starting at her clit. She was already so sensitive, even awkwardly brushing against it still felt good. 

“Here, like this,” she said, taking two of his fingers and creating a circular motion. It wasn’t perfect, and yet somehow it was. 

“And like this,” she went on, now moving his fingers into her. Kylo could have never imagined anything more exquisite if he tried. And then she moaned. And somehow it was even more exquisite.

It wasn’t long before he was hard again.

“I’m so ready for you,” she pined to him.

“Not yet,” he smirked. “I want more.”

And he adjusted himself to the level of her stomach. She, smirking, propped her lower half up on pillows, opening to him.

He was already nervous. And already high off her scent. 

“Be soft, like kissing,” she cooed.

He nodded. And took the plunge. 

His plush lips carefully swam around her sex, testing the waters. She breathed out, “Good, like that. Keep going.”

He licked her then. And she twitched. 

“Use your fingers, too. It helps.”

He obliged there. Pushing his pointer into her, she sat back in bliss. 

“Kylo,” she whispered his name. And he reduced to her entrance. He wanted to taste her too. 

Removing his digit, he pressed his tongue into her. It was unlike anything he had had in his life. Now he craved more.

“I need you inside me,” Krys encouraged.

“I’m not finished yet,” he growled. She squirmed under him.

“Please. Master.”

“Mm.”

“Please.”

And he surfaced from her, cleaning his lips. 

“How badly have you wanted it?” he tugged on himself; his focus on the task diminished him, but he quickly was coming back.

“Since the first day I saw you,” she whined, her eyes shiny and needy, “That day I felt your aura, I needed everything then and there.”

“Then take it,” he hissed. 

And he lined himself up to her, and she eagerly took it inside.

She was so slick, he eased himself in, feeling electricity the whole way. He shuddered as she widened against him, and when he was fully in, she chirped. 

“Are you okay?” he asked.

“I’m fine,” she replied. “Are you?”

“Yeah. Yeah, I’m great.”

She chuckled. “Go ahead and move when you’re ready.”

And Kylo retreated back out; the sensation could have made him screech it was so incredible. 

“I don’t think I’m going to last again…,” he confessed. 

“It doesn’t matter,” she assured. “Just feel me.”

“Is it okay if I…?”

“Haha… yes… First Order standard issue implant,” she chuckled. 

And he held her, and he breathed her in, and she wrapped his legs around him, bringing him back. 

“Fuck me, Kylo. Dammit. Fuck me.”

And a fire alighted in him, and goddamn did he fuck her.

Their two selves rocked against each other. She touched herself, her entire being clenching, both grasping for the pleasure and becoming overwhelmed by it. She went all in before he came again, and she brought herself there with his and her motion. 

The sights they had for each other were unparalleled. Their faces for each other meant everything. In this moment it meant everything. 

In this moment. 

And soon, he had arrived, too. He emptied himself into her, and she loved it. 

And so he collapsed on top of her, and she kissed his cheek.

“So how did I do?” he teased.

“What do you think?” she smirked back. 

And Kylo caught her lips once more.

-

That night they barely got any sleep. But it didn’t matter. Kylo buried tomorrow’s troubles, made it so he couldn’t think, drowning himself in Krys. 

And shutting out the Light. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!
> 
> Find me on tumblr at @KyloWithaZukoArc


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kylo and Krys go undercover to meet some of Krys' old friends for information. More OC's ahead, hope you enjoy.

Their bags were packed. The ship was ready. The rendezvous set. There was nothing else left to do but to outfit themselves and take off.

Kylo stared at the clothes laid out for him, a detail he had not concerned himself with until now. They gave off a deviant smuggler look, specifically chosen for him to blend in, along with a face wrap to disguise himself. He swallowed.

When he donned the outerwear, not yet having put on the facial coverings, he glanced in the mirror. And nearly fell over.

There was no denying the resemblance to his father. The boots, the belt, the shirt. It was as if Han Solo was staring at him in the face. And all of Starkiller came washing back over him. 

He saw his father standing on the bridge.

He heard the pleading voice again.

He remembered the shudder of the lightsaber through his father’s chest.

The body falling.

Kylo nearly had a panic attack. There it was again, the call to the Light. Now, of all times, when he was going to secure his position reigning in Darkness o’er the galaxy, there came that incessant whisper. 

Killing his father was supposed to _rid_ himself of it. But instead, it split his spirit to the bone. And after that, he literally fucked his Apprentice, destroying tradition, losing his virginity, in another attempt to focus himself.

But to no avail.

What the hell was it going to _take_?

He almost started to rip the clothes off of himself, but there was a rapping at the door.

“Kylo?” came Krys’ voice from beyond it, “Are you okay?”

 _Fuck_ , Kylo though, _She sensed my disturbance_. He silenced his energy quickly then, attempting to keep himself under control and her in mystery.

“I’m fine. Almost ready,” he gave back in the most casual tone he could muster.

Beyond the door, Krys, “Mm’ed” and walked away.

Kylo took a deep breath, shaking out the emotion, and hastily gathered the masking material to cloak his features. With one last look at his reflection, the cover did help some. But not much.

He pushed the anxiety and guilt down with all his might. And he exited his room.

Then he saw her. Krys in the same clothes from their first encounter. An odd sight; she looked exactly the same, yet also nothing like the Sith he had come to train.

The nostalgia of their meeting strangely calmed him.

“Let’s go,” he said, cutting to business, and she nodded, droids following behind them with their bags.

-

The ship they would be taking had been confiscated from spice runners from another quadrant, left in storage for the past ten years. It was a travel civilian model, nothing special about it, save for the secret storage modification. In fact, one could describe the ship as “shitty.” Which made it perfect.

Krys had taken special care to ensure the techs aboard the First Order had its homing beacon reset with new data, and that all records attributed to the craft had been forged, with no ties tracing it back to the First Order. Krys didn’t put herself down as the owner, but as long as it could not be recognized, that was the end goal. 

As the service droids loaded it up with weathered bags, specifically bought at a thrifting stand in some no-named desert town, Hux was there to send off the Supreme Leader and Apprentice. 

“What is with you and hiding your face?” he chided Kylo, who rolled his eyes.

“Someone’s gotten comfortable,” Krys sliced. “Just because you’re Acting Commander doesn’t mean you can speak out of turn.”

“And someone’s gotten familiar,” Hux threw back. “Maybe too familiar.”

Krys gave Hux a death glare then, cementing, “Your ruling power is temporary here. Don’t forget that.”

 _That’s what you think_ , Hux thought to himself.

Kylo ignored them both, already having boarded the ship. Krys began to walk up the ramp herself, when Hux said,

“Be careful.”

She stopped in her tracks then. And half-turned to him.

There had not been any sarcasm in his voice. Hux just looked at her in earnest. No follow up. She replied,

“We’ll report at least once a day. You have our positioning… Don’t have too much fun while we’re gone.”

And Hux laughed.

That was probably the first time she had ever seen him do so. What a bizarre scene. When Hux wasn’t being a royal pain in the ass, she thought, he almost had hope of coming off charming. She stiffly waved to him then, and finished boarding. 

\- 

“I never told you,” Krys said, watching the warped space fly by them on their journey. Kylo manned the controls again. “You’re a really good pilot.”

“Oh,” Kylo replied, taken off guard. Krys never gave compliments. It was like, after last night, she was suddenly being nice. “Thank you.”

“Between your Sith training and commanding the First Order… I’m surprised you had the time to learn.”

 _Because it wasn’t the First Order who taught me_ , Kylo thought. Memories of the Millenium Falcon pierced through his defenses. Once again, his heart strings were being tugged. Once again, visions of his father clouded his thoughts. The second time today. It was too much.

“Did you ever learn?” he threw the subject back to her.

“Ah… no…,” she confessed. “The people I was around, I didn’t want them teaching me anything about piloting.”

“Why not?”

“Oh… you’ll be meeting them today. You’ll see what I mean.”

Kylo took a double take. He didn’t know if he liked the sound of that.

-

They had finally arrived. Master and Apprentice stood in the middle of a crowd across stadium seating, tickets in their pockets. A giant screen following the action displayed the reason for the gathering:

Podracing.

“And here is Cora Ree comin’ round the bend, overtaking Hoan Aren!” the announcer screamed. It was the final lap, all bets had been placed. Kylo had asked if Krys wanted to gamble on her contact, just to do it, and she had firmly refused.

“What? You don’t think Cora Ree could win?”

“Ehh…” was the only answer Krys had given. 

Cora Ree’s pod was a blue blur across the landscape. Its engines looked like shells that spiraled to an end, then connected by wires to the cockpit. The pilot was, Kylo noted, incredibly aggressive. In the first two laps, they had already cornered two of the racers into trajectories that sent them flying into the mountainside. 

Cora Ree battled for position with their competition. They had luckily gained some ground coming into the turn, and now coming out of it, revved their engines for blue flames to speed them further out.

Kylo noticed one of Cora’s strung engines manually inch out to the side, placing it in front of the competition.

“They’re going to flame the other pod?” Kylo noticed.

Krys sighed.

Cora’s engine blared; an explosion of cyan fire blasted the enemy’s pod; however, in doing so, Cora’s own trajectory came off balance. They spun wildly out of control, crashing into two other ships. And in the end, the pod that got blasted won.

Cora’s pod stayed in a smoking ruin, mere meters from the finish line. A beat passed, and a giant humanoid shark creature jumped out of it, immediately crossing over to the other crashed ships, and started punching the pilots inside them.

“Jesus Christ,” Kylo observed.

“Never change, Ree,” Krys muttered to herself.

-

Kylo followed Krys to the garage of pod racers. Technicians ran to and fro following the race, and Krys’ eyes scoured for her contacts. When she spotted a gaggle of malconstructed droids flitting about a corner in the back, she knew she had arrived.

“Vesper,” Krys called out. And out popped from behind the workstation a mechanic girl.

“Whut?” came the responding call. Vesper the mechanic looked up from her work on the destroyed pod of the shark creature. Horribly built droids scattered around her, beeping and pawing about. She moved up her goggles for a better look. “Oh mannn, Kryssss, it’s youuu. We thought you were dead, haha.”

Kylo’s eyebrow raised. This airhead and the speed junky shark were their important contacts? _They_ were Krys’ friends? He was suddenly very, very worried.

“How did your crusade go, huuh?” Vesper inquired.

“Well, turns out the Supreme Leader didn’t like his Knights being killed, so he said no to training me.”

“Bummer, dude.”

“KRYS!” came a booming voice from behind. Suddenly the undercover Apprentice was scooped up in the arms of the shark. The creature laughed, their rows and rows and rows of teeth showing, and exclaimed, “WHERE’S OUR MONEY, BITCH?” 

Kylo was liable to cut the head off the monster, when the mechanic girl just chuckled dumbly: “Oh yeah, you owed us a lot of money, haha. I forgot.”

“And who’s this SNACK?” the shark tacked on. Kylo glared terribly at them. Krys couldn’t even breathe. She barely gasped out:

“Let’s… go… somewhere… private…”

-

“Well?” Krys said, looking at Kylo. The foursome sat in a booth at the back of a cantina, one sheltered from wandering eyes. This had not been the first illicit meeting the dinner table had seen.

“Well, what?” Kylo replied.

“Give them the money we talked about.”

“To _them_?” Kylo asked, flabbergasted. The bruised up shark and the ignorantly blissful mechanic just smiled across the table.

“Info on the Knights of Ren doesn’t come cheap,” the shark replied through its smirking, unending teeth.

Everyone looked at Kylo expectantly. The giant lump sum sat burning in his jacket. Still pocket change to the First Order, but he had expected to be giving it to a corrupted official, or a high roller at the top of a crime ring… Not these idiots.

When nothing happened, Vesper finally said,

“Ohhh, he’s the _bank_? I get it now.”

Kylo was ready to destroy all of them with his saber, when he remembered he couldn’t give his hand away. So instead he just sighed and handed over the credits. He eyed down his Apprentice, then. If this didn’t work out like she promised, she was in so much trouble.

“How did you even come by that information anyway?” Kylo hissed to the contacts.

“Podracing aint our dayjob,” Cora filled in, flitting through the amount under the table. They whistled at it, then handed it to Vesper. The mechanic said,

“Aw sweeeet. Can’t wait to get you a new pod with this. The other one is toast, ha.”

“Have you ever even won a race?” Kylo criticized. Krys could have elbowed him if he wasn’t her master.

“Winning isn’t everything,” the shark replied, stuffing something up their nose, and then shivered. “It’s about the _rush_ , man.”

“You’ll win someday,” Vesper encouraged. “I know it.”

“Thanks, buddy,” the shark knuckled their much tinier companion.

“You never answered my _question_ ,” Kylo replied, heated.

Then the waitress came by with their drinks, immediately silencing everyone. There was a long wait until they were alone again - and the shark was ready to talk, currently downing their beer in one go.

“Ahhhhh,” Cora said, now sitting over, the table, entering a hushed voice. “We’re in the market of the black, don’t you know. You _hear_ things there.”

“What do you know about _The Resistance_?” Kylo murmured.

And then a giant laughter escaped the shark, so loud the entire bar’s attention shot straight at them. In response, the shark said,

“That’s hilarious! I hate Gunguns too! They can rot in hell.”

And the restaurant all turned back to their own company.

Kylo held his head with one of his hands, a serious headache coming on. Krys rolled her eyes.

“How many times have I told you to stop _doing that_ when we’re talking?”

“You always have the funniest requests. I can’t help it.” Then the shark yelled, “Hey waitress! Another beer!”

“No more fucking beers, I’m not paying for it,” Kylo spat.

“Aw come on,” Krys said, “Cora. So you know something?”

“Oh booooy, do I know something. But it’s gonna cost ya.”

Suddenly Kylo leaned over the table, immensely serious. Cost was no barrier to this venture.

“What do you _know_?”

The shark smirked. “Money first, bank man.”

Without a thought, Kylo threw them half the sum of the first round. The shark giggled like a maniac and went to say,

“Ever heard of a man called… Lando?”

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> LANDOOOOO
> 
> Thank you for reading!  
> Find me on tumblr @KyloWithAZukoArc for Reylo content!


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The when and where and how will Kylo and Krys find Rey.

Had Kylo Ren ever heard of Lando Calrissian?

Laughable.

A joke.

A cruel joke.

Lando was practically Kylo’s uncle growing up. Ren recalled all the wild stories Lando told him as a child: from Calrissian’s time as a smuggler, to how he lost the _Millennium_ _Falcon_ to Han in a bet, to how he had even sold out the Skywalkers to Darth Vader during the war. All in the past now.

Kylo was going to be sick. This was the third heavy reminder of his father in one day.

“No, who is he?” Kylo feigned ignorance.

The mechanic girl answered, “Aww, you don’t know? He’s a legend in the smuggler community. Former war general, too, for the Rebellion.” 

“Yeah,” Cora added, “With a reputation like his, it’s been spreading like wildfire in the market that he is coming out of the woodworks. People say he is meeting up with the Resistance.”

Krys nodded in smug satisfaction. Her friends always proved useful. 

“When and where?” Kylo egged on.

“Mmm, first,” Cora smirked, “I gotta know. Why your sights set on them?”

The Apprentice answered for them, “My next kill.”

Kylo side eyed her. Though they had discussed this as part of their cover, a part of him wondered how much she believed in it.

“Ooo. A bounty?” Vesper piped up cheerily. “Someone good?”

“You could say that.”

“Tell me,” Cora inserted.

“Why? So you can sell it to your people?” Krys teased.

“Only if they pay the right price,” Cora giggled.

Kylo cut back in, “You already have the credits. Come on. Where is the meeting happening?”

“Alas… seems I’m having trouble remembering.”

Kylo snorted out his nose and threw in another bag of credits. 

Satisfied, Cora grinned, showing all their teeth, and whispered close. “The Middian System. Pasaana, at their Festival of the Ancestors. And get this. Just cuz I like you...” The credits jingled in their pouch. “The Resistance people he’s seeing? Know who’s going to be there?”

“Who?” Kylo asked.

“Who?” echoed his Apprentice.

“This generation’s biggest bounty yet… Snoke’s killer. The Last Jedi.”

-

A smattering of empty glasses and bottles now covered the table. Kylo’s head was swimming, not from the drink, but from the news. 

It was fate.

It had to be.

The Force at play.

There was no other possibility.

“How many people know this?” Kylo balked out.

“About Lando? Everyone,” Cora clarified. “The big-ass bounty though, that’s still secret. Expensive knowledge, don’t you know,” the shark winked.

“You always treat me right,” Krys clinked her glass with the shark.

“Love you, too, kid,” Cora chuckled and finished another round.

Kylo breathed a sigh of relief. 

Rey was safe. 

For now.

But they had no time. The Festival was soon. They needed to get going. He slammed enough credits to cover their drinks and rose to his feet.

“Let’s go, Krys.”

“Aww, already?” whined Vesper. “We didn’t even get the story of the Knights…”

“Here’s an idea,” Cora volunteered drunkenly, “Why don’t we come with?”

“ _What?_ No. Absolutely not,” Kylo refused.

Vesper whined in a slurred silly tone: “Ohhhh, I wanna cooome!”

“No,” Krys firmly laid down.

“Hey now listen,” burped Cora. “Whatever bounty you were going for pales in comparison to this one. You’re welcome for that, by the way. Don’t you think you’ll need some extra hands?”

Kylo thought, _I have the entire First Order on my side. What could you possibly offer that would -_

“Eh, sure, fine,” his Apprentice relented, intoxicated.

“Appren— Krys! What are you talking —”

“Aw siiiick! I’ll get my droids,” Vesper dizzily waltzed out of her chair then. And promptly fell onto the floor. “Hahaha, it’s a party!” she said from the ground.

Kylo grabbed the arm of his Apprentice very, very firmly, then. “You and I are going to talk. _Alone._ ” The chill of his anger went through her spine, sobering her up.

“I’ll right back,” Krys addressed Cora, who was helping Vesper up off the ground.

“Oh is your boyfriend jealous? Tell him not to be, I love him too. HAHAHA!” Cora chortled at their own joke, with Vesper laughing alongside, not quite sure why though, but enjoying every minute of it.

Kylo pulled his Apprentice outside, her arm bruising from the experience. Finding a quiet corner, he laid into her:

“You undermined my authority, Apprentice. Tell me why I shouldn’t take your arm off right here and now.” He squeezed her even tighter.

“Forgive me, Master,” Krys said, wincing, “But there is reasoning for them to come.”

“We got their intel. What more usefulness could they possibly have?”

“Please, listen.” She took in a deep breath. “I’ve been thinking about this a lot, actually. You… and Rey. You could sense each other. Like you and I do, right?”

His grip immediately loosened, the surprise of Rey’s name nabbing him. “What about it?” he cut.

“The Resistance will be on the lookout for Stormtroopers. And Rey would be able to feel you coming. But she doesn’t know my energy. Or theirs.”

“What’s your point?”

“If we want to surprise the Resistance, then send someone they won’t be expecting. But I can’t go alone. And Rey is sure to be surrounded by fellow fighters. I’ll need help.”

“Out of the question,” Kylo laid in. “That wasn’t the plan. The plan was, if Rey was on a First Order occupied planet - which Pasaana is, then we would go with Stormtrooper backup to get her together.”

“I understand that. And the Stormtrooper patrols can still be there. It’s just…”

“It’s just _what?_ ” Kylo spat.

She stared into his eyes for a beat. Then silenced her original answer.

“It’s just that there is a big chance that if you’re there on the front lines, Rey’ll get spooked and run.”

“I’ll silence my energy.”

“What about the Force Connection?”

“It’s gone. What does that got to do with anything?”

“Well… What if when you’re near each other, it comes back?”

Kylo paused there.

He had not considered that possibility.

Remembering just how it felt, with the external world seeming to quiet and and all mind space focused on the person one was tethered to... It was a sensation he was unable to forget. With Snoke dead, he didn’t think of it ever returning.

But there _had been_ one last connection. One last one after his Master had been destroyed, when Rey had closed the door on him. Then… there was one final spurt of their tie after everything.

What if Krys was right? What if, in close enough proximity, it did come back?

Kylo’s chest felt warm for a second. Then frozen.

It could ruin everything.

But even so,

“If this was such a big concern, why didn’t you bring it up sooner?”

“Permission to speak frankly, Master?”

Kylo’s muscles tensed. “Speak.”

“I thought even mentioning you not being there to grab Rey would have my head off.”

“So presenting it in the midst of the mission was better?”

“Sorry. I’m drunk,” Krys said.

He shook his head. _Please for once in your life, hold your liquor_ , he thought. But that wasn’t what he said. What he said was:

“I don’t trust them,” Kylo said, “Your friends. They’re loose canons.”

“I said they could help us, and they did, didn’t they?”

“That’s not the same as being on front lines.”

“Look, Cora and I go way back with knocking off some heads. And Vesper is a whizz with a blaster. Can’t you... trust me with this?”

Kylo fucking fumed. While this mission was really by no means a bust, it was not going at all how he expected. Krys leading the way to find Rey, without him? There was so much underlying tension there.

But then again, so was there between him and Rey.

“Please?” Krys’ eyes buried into his.

And he couldn’t believe what he was getting himself into.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GUESS WHO'S COMING NEXT CHAPTER!! GUESS!! AHHHH YALL I'M SO EXCITED
> 
> Thank you for reading!!  
> Find me on tumblr as @KyloWithAZukoArc!


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> REY IS HERE REY IS HERE REY IS HERE. Thank you for your patience, SHE IS HERE!

The Festival of the Ancestors only happened once every 42 years. Everyone agreed it was as an incredible coincidence for it to be occurring the same time the Resistance needed to find their contact. But it was foolish to believe in coincidences; there were too many things that had stacked up on top of each other during the last two years for randomness to rule; it had to be the Force. Rey decided that.

Rey the Last Jedi overlooked the Forbidden Valley, home of the Aki-Aki’s, the people group here. In peering over the desert, a pang of Jakkuan memories struck her. Though, never in her life had Jakku witnessed such colorful explosions and joyful music. All participants among the village dressed in exquisite robes and beads, dancing for what must have been a week long celebration. A slight of jealousy hit her. What must have it been like to grow up in a town of sand that was so full of life?

“If they knew Palpatine was back, do you think they would be so happy?” Finn supposed, interrupting her wistfulness.

“If we do our job right, they’ll never have to know,” replied Poe in tow.

“Goodness me!” shouted C-3PO, bringing up the rear, “How will we find Master Lando in this party?” R2-D2 beeped along, with Chewbacca balking. The gang was all here.

Rey took out her comlink then. “He’ll come to us.” The scavenger spoke into the mic: “General. We’ve arrived. Do you copy?”

“I’m not no general no more,” the former smuggler laughed, “Just call me Lando here. What’s your position?”

-

Rey and the gang loaded up into the wildly embellished caravan. Double checking for any patrolling Stormtroopers, they trucked away from the festivities, heading towards a horizon of rockier terrain. Upon slipping inside the roomy vehicle, they all greeted the decorated war hero. Chewy was the first, tackling the man.

“HRRRRRNNN!!”

“Oof!” Lando exclaimed, “Hahaha, you too, ya big lummox! Oh we have so much to talk about. Careful, my back isn’t what it used to be.”

“HNNNNGGGG!”

“Threepio! Artoo! You came too?”

“Y-Yes sir,” answered C-3PO. Perhaps it was his emotional programming, but the droid could not help but remember the last time there was a reunion, Lando had him disassembled. However many years ago it had been, he stuck by the Wookiee for protection this time, just in case. Artoo didn’t care though. He beeped wildly.

“Sir, it’s such an honor,” Poe offered his hand, upon the Wookiee releasing Calrissian, who shook it heartily. “If I may. I also started out as a runner and entered Resistance leadership. You’ve been a great inspiration to me.”

“The pleasure’s all mine, Dameron. Been hearing a lot about you.”

“Hopefully good things.”

“Not really. Hahaha!!” Lando chortled uproariously. The group cracked up with him, embarrassment coating Poe’s face. Finn patted his partner’s back in encouragement.

Lando’s eyes now sought out Rey’s amongst the group. “So then. You’re Leia’s student, huh? Rey is it?”

“Yes, Gen - Lando. Great to meet you.” She shook his hand as well.

“Been making quite a name for yourself, huh?” Lando said, “Tell me. Did you really kill the former Supreme Leader?”

Everyone’s attention turned to her. This question again. It would forever haunt her for as long as she - or the First Order - survived. She sighed and gave her usual spiel:

“Sorry to disappoint... It was the current Supreme Leader who killed Snoke, to take his role...” She saw Kylo in her mind then. Again. His form dwarfing hers. How he had disappointed her. She choked it down. “He blames me to throw off suspicion.”

Lando shook his head at that, his heart stung from the news. The former war general thought of Kylo as family. Lando reminisced seeing the little Jedi boy growing up, getting his lightsaber, running around in the _Millennium Falcon_ with Chewbacca. Such good times. Where had everything gone so wrong?

“Shame,” was all he said to the report. Rey nodded her head.

“Lando, sir,” Finn now interjected. “I just. It. You. You know. Hi,” he fumbled.

“Ahaha, come here, son.” Lando gave him a hearty shake as well. “Former Stormtrooper, right? Welcome, welcome. We are so glad to have you.”

Finn couldn’t beam any harder if he tried. But then Lando’s face suddenly turned gravely serious.

“Well. While I’d love to chop it up with you all, but I suppose we better get to business.” The whole crew straightened up to his words then. “So. He’s back. Huh?”

A dead silence filled the van then. A weight dropped back into everyone’s shoulders. Chewy audibly responded with a small growl, with Poe informing:

“Yes… We received intel from a First Order spy. Somehow, Palpatine returned.”

“And we have to get to him first,” Rey cemented.

Lando nodded sagely, remembering his time in blowing up the second Death Star. Had everything been for nothing? “Leia sent me a transmission, said you are looking for the Sith Wayfinder?”

“Yes. I had Luke’s notes... She said that you had worked with him in locating one?”

“Right,” Lando heaved. “Well. I am sorry to disappoint you, but Luke and I scoured for clues on the Wayfinder - must have been twenty years ago now... and found nothing.”

“If I may,” Rey jumped in, “Why did Luke want to find the homeworld of the Sith?”

“Ah yes. He wanted to confirm no Dark Force users would be usurping the emptiness of Palpatine’s spot. Exegol was only a rumor, but when we got word of Ochi of Bestoon, a known Sith Acolyte, Assassin, and Relic collector, telling tale he had a clue to where it was, we had to find him. We followed Ochi to the outskirts of this valley, searched his ship, but found it abandoned... Believe you me, we left no stone unturned. We looked for so long, I practically settled here. But... nothing.”

“Leia mentioned that...,” Finn filled in. “But this is our only lead...”

“I’m well aware...,” Lando shook his head. “Well, as promised, I am taking you to the site so you can do your own hunt... but don’t get your hopes up.”

A depressive atmosphere smacked everyone then. The universe practically depended on them to locate the Wayfinder, and the chances were slim to none. May the Force be with them.

But then suddenly their vehicle hitched out of no where. The group all leaned to the side from unbalanced momentum. In response, the van quickly ground to a halt.

“What now?!” Lando cracked at the driver. Rey recognized the cause immediately from her time at Unkar’s junkyard, overhauling vehicles and droids. “A tire fell off?”

Opening the doors to the outside, the light blinded them temporarily, until they adjusted to see, indeed, a wheel was left behind them. And that they were stuck in the middle of no where.

Calrissian was yelling at his alien counterpart for not taking better care of their caravan, when Rey said that it was a simple fix. “We just need some better lugs and track and then we can... wait. Do you all hear that?”

Everyone’s attention directed themselves into the distance. A speeder was rushing headlong at them. Though thankfully it was not of a Stormtrooper variety, Lando immediately had a sinking feeling about the trio riding towards them.

“Wait a second. That is my neighbor’s speeder,” he noticed, “Those guys stole it!”

Lando barely had enough time to finish his sentence before the ruffians charging forth shot at them with blasters.

The shark driving guffawed. “Just like old times, ya’ll!”

“Hahaha,” Vesper brayed, holding a blaster in one hand and handmade magnetized destabilizers in the other. Half the lug nuts from the van rattled in their pocket. “Krys, you got a good throwin’ arm?”

“Been practicing lately, yeah.”

“Chuck these!”

“Oh my!!!” Threepio shrieked.

“Take cover!” Lando ordered.

The Resistance immediately ducked and hid from the blasts, though the only options were to either run into the defunct van or engage behind it.

But R2-D2 and C-3PO were too slow from the sand.

The stolen speeder curved around them as the mechanic and Krys threw plated disks at the astromech and service droid. The planters snapped straight to the metal exteriors and shot an electrical spike through their systems. 

“WAHHHOOHHH!” screamed Artoo, falling on its face. Threepio likewise twitched dumbly and landed on top of his friend.

Two down.

“AHAHAHA!” laughed Cora, having the time of their life.

But now the Resistance was firing back.

“Bounty hunters!” Finn screeched, as everyone unload their own weapons, including Rey, who cut on her fixed saber to bash away any beams shot at her. As the speeder drifted around the party, the Resistance’s shots all converged upon it. However, any rounds that came to close suddenly, without explanation, froze in midair.

Poe’s face in particular was aghast. He had only seen that trick once before.

Rey registered a huge splash in the Force as Krys unveiled her energy. The Apprentice smirked in evil satisfaction, implementing everything Kylo had taught her in their Force drills. The Jedi screamed,

“A Dark Force user!?” 

But there was no time to process it.

“Oh no you don’t!” Lando reeled. Having shoved his driver aside, he manned the controls now. Calrissian pressed a combination of buttons that unfurled a hidden cannon.

“Retired general _my ass_ ,” Finn observed, watching the gun fire up.

“Oh shit,” Cora noticed. “Abandon ship!”

And the ruffians immediately jumped out of their racer. Following them out were revealed floating droids in the back seat. The giant blaster completely annihilated the stolen racer one go. 

“Damnnn, wild,” Vesper said, down in the sand, “Hey droids, your turn!”

And her swarm of idiotic kamikaze robots flew themselves at the Resistance crew. Chewy and the others shot a good number of them before they could reach the van, but they couldn’t get them all.

“Lando!” Rey screeched, having to run from the homing bombs. The impact of the explosives battered the sides of the van. Everyone gasped as one self destructing droid flew under to the fuel compartment.

The van absolutely went up in flames. A moment passed amongst the group in utter horror. Some of the fire scorched R2-D2 and C-3PO’s blitzed forms, too.

But from the other side, they heard Lando and his driver coughing. They had ducked out just in time.

“Oh thank Force,” Poe muttered.

And Chewy screamed his animal roar, focusing his oversized crossbow blaster straight at the shark.

Cora Ree taunted, running forward. “What, you gonna hide behind long range?! You scared of straight fight, big man?!”

And the Wookiee totally dropped his bow then, baying wildly. Chewbacca was one hundred percent down to bash in the shark’s head himself.

“Don’t fall for it, Chewy!” Finn yelled. “It’s a distraction!”

“Let’s go!!!” Cora roared.

But Chewy had already made up his mind. Soon the two monstrous creatures collided in a hand to hand combat, wrestling madly.

Meanwhile, Poe, Finn, and Rey fired upon at Krys and the mechanic.

“Oh man. It’s been real,” was Vesper’s final prayer, ducking her head in the sand.

Then she heard the most distinctive, unusual hum, something Vesper had never encountered before. Amazingly, there was no pain from the blasts aimed at them.

“Wow, being dead is a whole lot like being alive,” Vesper said to herself. Looking up, she took in a sight that confused her terribly.

Krys stood in front of her, facing the enemies, with two swords of light in either hand. She panted wildly, the weirdest energy coming off of her. A moment passed before Vesper registered:

“Oh mannn,” she spoke into a comlink at her ear: “Bankman, you’re never gonna believe this.”

-

The Dark Side pumped intensely throughout Krys being. Her eyes were practically yellowed. Yes. Yes. This is what she had been reaching for. That next hit. The past year, she had ever felt such organic power until this moment.

The Resistance had ceased firing, horrified at what they had just witnessed. The stranger before them had blocked or stilled every shot?

Rey stared at the red sabers the girl held. It couldn’t be. Actual bled sabers? A new Dark Force user? But the only connections that the user could have had would be either Palpatine or…

A flight of First Order reinforcements steered across the sky then, their engines blaring through the distance, steering right towards them all.

The Resistance was incredibly outnumbered.

“RUN!” Rey screamed.

There was no where to go but into the craggy rocky walls half a click away from them. Poe, Finn, Lando, the driver, and Rey utterly sprinted into the caverns without a second look back.

The Force of the Dark screamed through Krys’ veins at that moment. She couldn’t help but release the beginning of an unhinged laugh. She sauntered forward, moving faster and faster, madder and madder, louder and louder, until a full maniacal laughter exploded out of her.

They had them right where they wanted them.

The yellow in her eyes turned full Force.

It was the most delicious thing she had ever tasted, and the hunt was only beginning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YALLLL CAN'T WAIT FOR THEIR FACE OFF NEXT CHAPTER AHHH
> 
> For more Reylo content, find me on tumblr!  
> @KyloWithAZukoArt


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> REY AND KRYS FACE OFF REY AND KRYS FACE OFF REY AND KRYS FACE OFF

“Come ON, Chewy!!” Rey screamed back at the Wookiee, who was still interlocked with the shark. Chewbacca howled back to the sentiment of “Go on without me!”

But in the midst of the roar, the shark bit down on his shoulder, hard.

“Chewy!!” Finn reeled.

The Wookiee wailed horribly from the fangs, but his struggling only made the shark crunch down harder. Rey was about to run back to him, when she caught sight of a TIE Silencer ship approaching with the rest of the First Order envoy. Adrenaline spiked as TIE Fighters and transports all shot at their heels. The Resistance fighters zig zagged as much as they could, but staying out in the open was death. They had to make it to the rocks. Not to mention, Rey could still hear the Sith woman approaching behind them.

“I’m sorry, Chewy!!” the Jedi screamed to him.

And then the Wookiee punched the shark in the gills. The wind utterly left Cora from it, and their jaws released their hold. Chewy now beat down upon the creature without mercy. But between blows, a huge shock hit between his shoulder blades, ceasing him up.

“HRRRR!” Chewy reacted.

“Heyyy, stop that,” drew out the mechanic. She had set her blaster to stun.

Chewy railed back, but in doing so he was tazed again. And again. And again. Despite his best, Chewy’s muscles locked up against his will. And he fell down on top of the shark.

“Oof, boyyy,” Cora lurched, “Buy me dinner first, pal.”

“Coraaaa,” Vesper pattered over. “You alright?”

“Ugh, yeah, man.” They spit out a tooth. Or four. “Thanks for that.”

“Always.”

The shark pushed off the great Wookiee then, as Cora and Vesper both watched the ships overhead make their flight back around. The shark then put two and two together: the First Order was here? Krys had lightsabers? And the man who had all that money wanted the Resistance?

“Krys fuckin lied to us?!” Cora growled, before it quickly gave way to laughter: “Ahh, never change, Krys.”

“Would they still give us the reward, ya think?” Vesper wondered.

“So long as we get the bounty first!”

Cora then shook off the pain of the pummeling to chase their Sith friend, and the mechanic followed in stride.

-

The Resistance had finally made it to shelter, running between the cracks of a huge rock formation. The blasts from overhead battered the stone walls, but could not reach them. But it was here that Calrissian and his driver began to slow down.

“We’ve got to make it back to the _Millennium_ _Falcon_ ,” Poe pressed, “We have to keep moving!”

However, in saying that, he noticed a giant gash on Lando’s shin. So too was there a wound on the arm of the alien driver. Finn saw the lesions too, gasping:

“You all were hit!”

The alien sounded in his language a pained tone. Lando shook his head, sweat heading down his brow. “Shrapnel got us...,” he supplied.

“Shit,” Poe muttered under his breath. Lando was clearly limping at this point, and the driver had lost a lot of blood, on the verge of passing out. Both the pilot and the reformed Stormtrooper threw the arms of the injured over their shoulders to keep running. But it wouldn’t be enough, Rey determined. The Sith girl would catch up to them in no time.

“The biggest bounty is on me,” the Jedi announced, readying her saber for battle. “You all go. I’ll catch up.”

“They’ll capture you!” Finn pressed.

“Better me than all of us. They probably already got Chewy...”

“Rey, I...” the stormtrooper stuttered.

“There’s no time to argue. Run!”

And with great regret, her adjoining foursome dashed off. As they shuffled into the maze-like pathways of the ravine, Rey could hear an echoing laughter from behind. The Jedi took off down an opposite road then, but opened her feelings for the Dark presence to tail her. And that is exactly what Krys did.

Rey whisked every which way, eyeing every direction. A creeping nausea wormed its way into her. With her reception to the Darkness, she ingested unfiltered killing intent, and felt the dread of all prey. Farther and farther Rey backed into the snaking crevices. She clutched to her saber for dear life. And then the whirring hum of red plasma whizzed passed her.

Rey upshot and fled into the opposite direction from where the weapon aimed. Yet again another shortblade zoomed passed her, and so she ducked again into an opposing opening. She kept running, running, running, dodging and fleeing, until she couldn’t anymore.

“Dead end,” Rey choked to herself.

The Jedi spun back around in horror. Peering up, she saw the shadowed form of the Sith girl looming over the plateaued top of the rocks. And Krys grinned with the most sadistic joy, another laugh escaping her lungs.

“Oh Rey... Rey... Rey...,” Krys murmured with glee, “I have been waiting for this.”

“Who are you?!” Rey screeched at the Sith; Luke’s blue saber was in full defense.

Krys licked her lips, another bout coming over her. “You’ll find that out soon enough. Think fast.”

And the Sith threw a shortsword down into the gorge. It arced towards the Jedi’s legs, and so Rey knocked it away, but as she did so, another came at her. She had no space to move in the tight chasm to evade it, and for a moment, Krys thought she would already be drawing blood.

But then Rey pulled forth yet another saber - Leia’s. Rey cut it on just in time to send the second red flying back.

The Sith called both of her kyber weapons in response and stared in a hushed awe. Rey brazened her two blue in defiance, and then, taking both, she connected the brother and sister hilts together at their blunt ends. The Jedi twirled her new double-blade as if it were her quarterstaff from Jakku. Striking a defense position, she snorted out her nose at the Sith girl.

Many emotions went through Krys at that moment. Surprise at the fellow dual wielder, anger at it all, and even jealousy. But the most prevailing of all was eagerness.

“Yes... Yes,” Krys basked. “You’re not weak. I cannot wait for this. Let’s go. Let’s GO,” she positively shrieked.

Losing all sense of proprietary, Krys lunged into the crevasse, full throttle.

As she ran to meet the Jedi, Rey jumped as high as she could over her to move out from the dead end. Sparks of plasma lit the gully as red and blue collided: Krys had swung overhead at the Jedi, who flipped to defend in kind. Over and over blue and red met, shining violet light at times. Krys studied the Jedi’s movements; she found they were inspired by traditional forms, but overall had their own unexpected flare. Likewise, Rey aimed to understand Krys’ fighting, but ultimately came up short. There was simply nothing else like it she had faced before. She ducked again from a thrown saber, and the plasma knife cut into the wall. And now, Rey took the moment to go on the offensive. With only one blade in the Sith’s hands, surely Krys could become overwhelmed by her dual-blade.

But now Rey was distracted with the Sith in front of her, and not the shortblade called back in secret. The only warning she had was that distinctive humming swiftly growing in volume. That, and her feelings.

The Light side urged Rey to duck, and she did, but not without suffering a burn first to her shoulder.

“Tchh!” Rey winced. Krys’ smile spread even wider then. The first cut had been made. She needed more.

Krys slammed down her reds upon the lowered Jedi then, but Rey blocked just in time. Each of the reds bared down on either side of the blue light staff. The two Force users pushed against each other, gritting their teeth.

They got a long, good look at each other then. Rey saw the yellow in the Sith’s eyes. And Krys saw the Light in the Jedi. It disgusted her.

So she kicked. A dirty move.

Krys’ foot connected with Rey’s chest, sending Rey backwards many feet with the Force. The Jedi had practically been on her knees already - This could send her to the floor, Krys thought.

So the Sith reeled back to toss a final saber, but Rey had absolutely had enough of the projectiles. In waiting for the right moment, the Jedi watched from the ground as the Sith threw the shortblade. Rey took her saber then to smash the hilt of the sailing blade, and the kyber weapon exploded to pieces.

Red light shew forth in the crevice, a small explosion, revealing Krys’ horror. A horror that quickly turned into pure rage.

“You BITCH,” Krys screamed. Soon she charged forth out of pure retaliation. No tricks, no nothing. Just straight fight. Rey tried to scramble to her feet, when all went quiet.

It was a sensation she had not felt in two years. The sudden stillness of the world around her. Everything became drowned out. It was like time slowed down. The tickle in her spine was exactly the same as before. She looked for him.

And there he was.

“Kylo?” she whispered.

Kylo stood there, no helmet, as if he was only a few paces away from her. The same shock coated his expression as did hers. And the same inner warmth sprang from their souls.

But the moment was fleeting. Not even two seconds later, the Connection broke. And Rey could not react in time.

Krys was upon her. The Sith bashed away Rey’s staff, which flung far down the pathway, and then Krys swung down. Her red raked Rey from shoulder to hip, and Rey let out a blood curdling scream. But Krys soon silenced it, stepping on her throat.

Rey’s eyes stared up at the Sith, pain from the choking and the searing burns swimming through her. She tried to yell, to breathe, but couldn’t. Krys relished the sight with intensity. And she laughed. She laughed in the face of the girl who came before her. And she couldn’t wait for Kylo to see this.

“ _Get off of her!_ ” screamed her Master. Krys had been so caught up in the hunt, she hadn’t even felt him approach. The suddenness and authority of his voice whirled her back to face him. He now had his helmet on. She took her foot off as ordered.

“I did it, Master,” Krys relayed, now inching towards him. Both excitement and disbelief betrayed her. She was fucking trembling. “I did it. I told you I could beat her, and I did, I -"

But Kylo marched right passed her.

It took a long moment to register for Krys, but he had just walked right passed her.

Still shaking from the hunt, she slowly peered back around her to see Kylo bending the knee for the Jedi.

“Rey, Rey, are you alright?” he said.

The Jedi could barely speak, her throat having been crushed. But she did cough feebly for air. And Kylo examined her wounds. They, luckily, were not fatal, surface level enough, but they were debilitating.

“Master?” Krys pried.

Right. Kylo shook his head. He had to play the role of Supreme Leader here. What was he thinking?

“Right... right... good work... Apprentice.”

And Rey coughed even harder then. What had he just said?

But by this time, reinforcements of Stormtroopers had finally arrived.

“Supreme Leader, the area is secured,” informed the lead trooper. “We have apprehended the other seven Resistance members. ... though we had to fight off the shark to get them.”

“And mechanic girl,” added a lower ranking soldier.

Krys barely paid attention to them. Kylo was still on his knees at Rey’s side.

“... Bring them all back to the ship,” the Supreme Leader finally ordered. He then rose to his feet, lifting Rey in his arms. “Keep them all alive. Medical treatment as needed,” he added.

Krys could only stare as he walked by her again, this time with the injured Jedi.

She stayed there watching him leave for a long time. In finally gathering the bled kyber crystal from her destroyed saber, she eventually followed them all back out.

And a million storms ran through her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AH SHIT MAN I'M SO EXCITED
> 
> Thank you so much for reading!  
> For more reylo content, find me on tumblr as @KyloWithAZukoArc!


	20. Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We see the Resistance’s point of view, and Krys does everything in her power to keep Kylo’s gaze.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CW: abusive behavior and OC smut ahead. Depending on your point of view, it is either pretty hot or fucked up. Or both.
> 
> Also I swear this is a Reylo story. GOD, I swear lol. It’s a just a long ride there... bear with me!!

While Krys tailed Rey, the rest of the Resistance moved as fast as they could. They snaked through the tight passageways, using their homing beacon as a compass to the _Falcon_. Until they heard the shark creature in the distance shout:

“I SMELL BLOOD.”

They stopped in their tracks for a moment then, as Lando looked back to see a small trail of crimson-soaked sand behind them. His wound and the driver’s had both bled through their makeshift bandages. 

“It’s no good,” he told the rest of the group. He took up his blaster in hand. “It’s been an honor to fight with you all. I’ll hold them back.”

“Lando, no, you can’t,” said Finn, propping up the driver alien. 

“It’s the only way.”

Poe was about to refuse Lando’s offer as well, when they overheard ion engines above them. To their horror, a First Order transport unit began to lower itself above them, its bay doors opening. In the rush, the Resistance had not noticed their cover overhead widening. 

“Shit, shit, shit shit shit,” Finn swore. They could still try to run after all. But with what hope?

They ran anyway.

Stormtroopers both shot at them from overhead and started to descend from ropes to the ground below. But then Cora and Vesper appeared, following the blood trail. The shark screamed to the Troopers,

“HEY! They are OURS!”

“Yeah!” added the mechanic, “You can have them back in, like, two seconds.”

And Cora went full blood frenzy.

The Resistance caught glimpses of the shark biting off the heads of two Stormtroopers; the mechanic girl behind them provided support, firing at the soldiers above. With enemies fighting amongst themselves, the runaways nigh shrugged to each other and continued to flee.

But then there came the unmistakable hum of crackling kyber plasma.

Taking the corner, they found The Supreme Leader standing before them. Stopping in their tracks, they saw his TIE Silencer parked quietly on a clearing at his back. Their hearts sank. 

Kylo eyed Calrissian first. Then the former Stormtrooper. And Poe, too; the Supreme Leader remembered him readily from the interrogation chair.

“Hello, murderers, traitors, and thieves.” Ren brandished his weapon. “Where do you think you’re going?”

They were utterly trapped. Finn attempted to shoot his blaster at Kylo, but Ren only batted it away, right back into the traitor’s hip.

“Finn!!” screamed Poe. Finn fell to the ground in anguish, the driver going down with him, yelping in his native tongue. And then Kylo thrust out his hand at Poe, Force blasting him to the wall. Dameron positively thudded against the rocky surface, leaving Calrissian barely standing.

Lando held himself against the man who was practically his nephew, staring him down. The only words Lando had for Ren were these:

“So. This is what you really wanted, huh?”

And Kylo’s anger spiked tremendously. He threw out his other hand, ready to excavate his uncle’s mind right there and then for the insult. 

When she appeared. 

He saw Rey on the ground before him, just in front of Calrissian. The former war general didn’t react to her presence, and Kylo knew all too well why.

The Force Connection was back.

Krys had been right.

Rey’s eyes darted from beyond Kylo, to him, shock blanking her face. And like his personal poison, she spoke his name. 

Over the past two years, all Kylo had done was deny himself. Punish himself. Insult himself. For all his weakness, all his foolishness. He buried himself in work. In training. In the new girl. He put everything in his power to get the fuck over this scavenger who just appeared one day and had the audacity to resist him. 

And with one glance, one word, all those walls came crashing down.

 _Rey_ , he thought. She was exactly how he remembered, and yet so much more. Was that a double saber she wielded?

But then she disappeared. 

And off in the horizon, he heard her scream. 

Kylo spun around immediately, leaving his uncle behind him perfectly confused. 

When Cora nabbed onto Lando’s shoulder.

All the back up troopers concentrated their power onto the shark’s hide then. Cora struggled to withstand them, but after many a direct hit, the shark finally fell, taking Lando with them. And with that, Vesper held up her hands in complete surrender.

It was over. 

It was finally over. 

-

“We said we were sorryyyy,” Vesper whined. She and Cora now kneeled on the sand back outside the entrance of the pathways, guns in their faces.

“I DIDN’T!” Cora yelled, bleeding profusely. “We did nothing wrong!” 

“You killed _five_ of our men,” answered one of the troopers on guard.

“Because you all kept getting in the way!” Cora snapped back.

“Kryssss,” Vesper said, seeing the Sith exit from the rocky face at last. “Mann, you missed it.”

“YEAH,” the shark bounced, “I went on a frenzy, it was great!”

“And killed _five_ of our men,” reiterated the trooper.

“It was great!”

But Krys wasn’t listening. Her only attention was on her Master walking up the ramp to the prison transport, carrying the enemy like a bride. 

If stirred hurricanes inside her. 

Krys saw from there the rest of the Resistance strapped down to medical beds. The shark and troopers had done some work, she supposed.

“Let them go,” Krys ordered the trooper.

“Madam Ren,” he pushed back.

“And get them their money.”

“Madam Ren!”

“Aw yeahhhh!” Cora celebrated.

“We’re gonna get sooo many pods,” Vesper squeed.

Krys kept moving as the troopers regretfully released the ruffians. Cora called out to her though,

“Yo!! So you got training after all, huh?! You’re _his_ Apprentice?”

Krys didn’t look to the shark. She only observed as Kylo laid Rey onto a sick bed. Like a rag doll, the hurt Jedi limply met the mattress in a Force sleep. Had Kylo done it to stop her from squirming away? Or numb the Jedi’s pain out of pity? She noted him take one last look at the bounty before disappearing further in the ship.

All Krys replied was,

“I’m supposed to be.”

-

In the far, far distance, the Festival of the Ancestors could still be heard. The First Order wrapped up the last of their work, loading the paralyzed Wookiee and the damaged, offline droids.

Krys gave her ruffian friends the confiscated vessel for their own departure.

“Not that we’ll need a smuggling ship anymore!” Cora celebrated. “We are retiring!” They threw the giant lug of credits into the shitty vehicle.

“You, uh, need some medical treatment first?” Krys asked, seeing Cora bleed horrendously over everything.

“Eh, I’ll walk it off!”

Vesper’s eyes sparkled from the amount of wealth. “Do you know how many droids I can make with this?” she reveled.

“Or you could… buy them instead,” Krys suggested.

Vesper _gasped_ , “I COULD BUY THEM INSTEAD!”

And so they said their good byes. The Sith girl watched as her friends exited, rising up and out of the desert terrain, shooting back into the unknown.

And out of no where she felt so incredibly alone.

-

The Light moved at full strength within Kylo. Already he felt his resolve completely done in.

Seeing Lando had been a hard slap in the face.

Even more so, when he saw Chewbacca, who had been an even bigger presence in his life than Calrissian, sedated in the bed bay, he felt another twist of the knife. 

And Rey. She was here. She was here. He saw her. He had touched her. The Force Connection was back.

She was hurt. 

He shouldn’t have cared but goddamn his heart bled for her. It took everything in his power to walk away and be The Supreme Leader again. 

As their transports made their to the main ship, Krys found her seat next to him.

And burned and burned and burned.

But said nothing.

And neither did he. 

-

Upon reaching the main hub, the crew was met with glee, albeit reserved glee, as the First Order kept celebrations restrained.

Hux personally welcomed the Supreme Leader and the Apprentice back. Though he took notice that, despite the great victory, neither of them seemed particularly thrilled.

Shortly thereafter, the debrief commenced. Krys led the talk, having been running point on the mission:

“In conclusion: Crew loss was kept to a minimum, and all Resistance members at the rendezvous have been secured. The prisoners have all been separated, sedated, and their injuries are currently being treated. As you know, we don’t need them at full health, but for now, we need to keep them alive and without infection.” Thus, she ended her report. 

Hux’s eyes practically gleamed. 

“Very good work, Krys Ren,” he said. The Apprentice blinked in uncomprehension. Hux was… praising her? Despite the good news, Krys’ voice had been frustrated throughout her delivery. But now… As Hux kept talking, pride began to bubble back in her:

“As you know, we have been tracking the Resistance for years. This is by far the most successful mission we have had in obtaining valuable members - from Snoke’s killer, to a First Order traitor, one of their generals... Not to mention, this was the first mission you have ever led. I must say I am pleased you were brought onto the First Order and look forward to further working with you.”

Her mind blanked. What the fuck. Had she had earned Hux’s respect? She didn’t know what to say. Except that she wished her Master had been the one to say those words, not him. Regardless,

“ _Thank_ _you_ ,” she stressed. And she shot a look to Kylo. He nodded to her. But that was all he did. 

And not once did Kylo ever mention the Force Connection in the debrief.

-

That night, Kylo readied for bed, staring in the mirror. He stupidly, stupidly, stupidly fought every instinct to go check on Rey. He had the full informative layout from the nurses that all prisoners were in stable condition. But he didn’t want info. He needed to see her. But that would be suspicious. He almost slapped himself in the face, when there was a knock at the door. 

No one just _knocked_ on the Supreme Leader’s door.

And then he noticed Krys’ presence. 

Her energy was fucking fuming. Towards him.

 _Shit_ , he thought. 

Krys waited impatiently behind the threshold. This was impudent behavior, she fully realized, calling upon her Master at his private chambers in the middle of the night. No warning either. It could mean severe punishment. But in this moment she one hundred fucking percent did not care.

She didn’t even try to cloak her energy. She was a ball of anger, clearly directing her wrath at him, and she did not care.

Yet again, Kylo had to remind himself that he was the Supreme Leader in this situation. He spoke over the intercom:

“Apprentice. This had better be an emergency.”

“It is vital to the mission and cannot wait.”

“Very well. Meet me in the dojo.”

“Please, just let me inside.” Her muscles tensed from the brashness of her request. While the two of them had certainly crossed lines before, there were still those they had not yet. One being let into the Supreme Leader’s personal quarters. 

_The audacity of this girl_ , Kylo thought. And he sighed. He knew he didn’t actually have the will to punish her. 

So he opened the door. 

-

Krys’ muscles tightened in seeing him. A beat passed of inward disbelief that he had really done what she asked, and then another of noticing her Master topless. She pushed the shock down though, keeping a hard face. He motioned to enter with a jerk of his head, and she passed through.

She took a quick moment to just observe his living space. Krys always wondered what it looked like, and it was much more minimalistic than she had imagined. Black with pops of white and red colored the interior, with every little thing in its place. Full control.

“What is it?” he asked tersely, the slider door now shut, rendering them alone. She swallowed and turned to face him. Her mind raced on all the things she wanted to say - That some fucking acknowledgement would be nice. That it was obvious Rey was his weakness, but Krys had proven she was better. Why didn’t he look at her the way he did the Jedi?

 _What are we?_ she held at the tip of her tongue.

But ultimately, she chose to just remind him instead.

Remind him who stood at his side.

Krys threw herself at her Master, basking him in kisses. And though surprise coated him at first, his body reacted faster than his mind. Catching up, he soon realized this was exactly what he needed right now - a distraction. To cut loose.

So he threw himself back fully in return.

He pulled her up into him, moving over to his bed. He plastered her down and smattered her lips with his; she roughed up his hair and he grabbed her everywhere. 

_You’re mine_ , she thought. _You’re mine, you’re mine, you’re mine, you’re mine._

He didn’t even care to prepare her today. He wanted it fast and he wanted it now. Yanking off her clothes, near tearing them off, he quickly joined her in nakedness. God, she was already so wet.

He bathed himself in her, and she squeaked, squealed, and mewed. She went to kiss him, but he nabbed a handful of her locks and stayed her down. He lorded over her, fucking her, releasing everything he had into her. Every frustration and worry, every agony and displeasure. She took it all for him, and took his attention, too, and holding it close.

_You are mine._

_You are mine._

_You are mine,_ she thought over and over.

They panted next to each other then, having reached their satisfaction. Their physical satisfaction at least.

Kylo teased,

“‘Vital to the mission,’ huh?”

She tensed. It was a clear opening, if she really wanted to chance it.

“Yes, actually,” she confirmed. But there was no joking tone in her. She sat up in bed, deciding what she would say. She laid it all out there:

“Do you really have it in you to bring Rey to Palpatine?”

A pin could have been heard to drop. She sensed his spikes in the Force.

“Are you… accusing me… of weakness?”

“She is your weakness,” Krys dug in.

Kylo shot up then, grabbing her hair, hard.

“How dare you,” he said into her ear. “How fucking dare you.”

His grip was hard, like he could rip out a chunk of her right there and then. A small tear formed at the corner of her eye. “Do you deny it?” 

Her throat lay perfectly exposed. He could have strangled it. Despite her outward composure, Krys’ unsteady breath gave away anxiety.

Kylo hated how right she was.

He hated how clearly she saw through him.

She didn’t even have to read his aura to know.

His fist tightened even more; she whimpered from it.

“On the ground. Get on your knees. Now.”

She quickly obeyed. In repositioning himself to stand, he shoved his limp cock into her mouth.

“Get me hard and drink me,” he ordered. Without hesitation, she performed. He razed into her while she serviced him:

“What makes you think… you can talk to me like that? You fucking wretch. Never question me again.”

She couldn’t use her words, her throat occupied with him. She only moaned back to affirm, and he scrunched her hair again, yanking her to go faster.

“I’ve been.. so kind to you. Too kind, clearly... Remember your place, Apprentice. You do as I say… I use you as I see fit. Never… doubt… me… again.”

And he came.

He made her choke on him; she almost puked. But she held it back, soaking him in instead.

And finally he released her.

She breathed on the floor. He stared her down, waiting for her to apologize. To beg for mercy. Something. Anything.

Her grand reply was,

“You said… you won’t ever betray me. You promised. So you’ll… still be by my side… forever, right?”

She looked up at him, a tear in her eyes from his cock pushing so deep into her. This was unabashedly the most pathetic she had appeared before her Master. “She won’t replace me. Right?”

Her voice fucking quivered.

And his heart broke.

What had he done?

He lowered himself to the ground in front of her. He kept her eyes, though at a loss for words. He softly pulled her into his arms instead.

“Krys.”

Should he apologize? He was the Master. The Supreme Leader. But now their ties had gotten so messy.

What _were_ they?

“I said I wouldn’t, and I won’t,” he replied.

And he believed it.

He near crushed her in his arms, and he believed it.

A wash of relief came over her, and the tears silently fell.

It was going to be okay.

Everything was going to be okay.


	21. Chapter 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Resistance is in the clutches of the First Order, and all the fuck shit that means. Also Rey is feisty. What a gal.

Rey’s last memories replayed to her in dreams. When Kylo ran to her side, it had reminded her of the island, him comforting her in the hut. Despite everything - despite the bounty making her life a living hell the past two years, despite her disappointment in Kylo, despite his choices - despite it _all_ , she was happy to see him. When he appeared before her in the Force connection, she felt his heart. When he called to her with concern in his voice, a small warmth wafted through her. Then outright terror.

She’d been subdued by the First Order.

She was in the grim reaper’s clutches.

And then Lord Ren wiped away her consciousness.

She was dead. She had to be. That was it. Swimming in the collection of her thoughts, she must have been in the spirit plane. This was how ghosts felt.

But then she woke up.

An unknown amount of time after Pasaana, Rey jumpstarted. The first thing she noticed was pain, though now it significantly dimmer than before. Bandages wrapped her torso, and medical equipment surrounded her. But she was tied down to the bed, which sat within a prison cell. Guards all pointed their blasters at her, and leading them was the First Order triumvirate. General Hux. The Sith girl.

And Kylo Ren.

She was so confused.

“The serum has taken affect. Prisoner 78990167 is conscious,” announced a med droid.

Rey instinctively tested her restraints, although her head soon caught up, realizing it was basically pointless.

“Rey,” Kylo Ren spoke. Her heart somehow beat faster when he addressed her, though his tone was cold and disconnected. “You are now a prisoner of the First Order. We have your comrades locked away. If you do not do what we tell you, we will destroy each of them, starting with FN-2187.”

As the words began to register in her mind, anger too swelled, mixing with bewilderment. She noted:

“You… haven’t killed us...” It was something between a question and a statement. “You marked us for death for years. And now that you have us…?”

“We found some use for you.”

Kylo’s disaffectedness raked her. For a moment, Rey wondered why she had ever held out hope for the Light in him. She riled back:

“What then? You want me to _join you_? Still? After everything you’ve put me through?”

Hux side-eyed Kylo from that comment. _“Still?”_ Lord Ren had offered the Jedi to join him before?

“ _Never_ ,” Krys cut in, her own anger spiking.

“Then what do you want?” Rey scowled, “Information? To pull it from my mind? Because that worked so well last time.”

“Watch it,” Kylo brazed. He pointed at her the same way his father always had at him.

“We have a common enemy,” explained Hux, somehow the most calm of them all.

Rey stared at the trio for a moment, the gears beginning to click in her head.

“Palpatine. It’s him. Isn’t it?”

A wave of quiet shock passed through all who gathered around her. Kylo somehow kept his composure:

“Why do you say that?”

“First Order leak,” Rey’s chest puffed. “You have a traitor in your midst.”

A measured uneasiness crawled in everyone. All the Stormtroopers knew exactly what fresh hell awaited them all now - the inquisition that would arise. Kylo tightened his fist, outraged this could happen. Hux shifted his weight.

With no confirmation, Rey kept on:

“So I’m right?” She couldn’t even hide her smugness. With no reason to deny it, Kylo dropped the bomb:

“He wants you.”

And all pride left the scavenger in that moment. “What?”

“He plans to turn the Last Jedi to the Dark. Seems he would make you his apprentice.”

Kylo said the words so flatly, unremarkably. But Rey could barely comprehend it. Her whole life, she had been nobody. A nobody. And now the revived Dark Emperor of the modern ages asked for _her_?

“I… I would never,” is all she got out.

“It doesn’t matter,” is all Kylo said to that. The back and forth of will-she-won’t-she exhausted him. “What _does_ is how we can take him down.”

Rey considered his words. Her place in all this. “You… want me for… a distraction.”

The Supreme Leader nodded. Rey was quick to catch on. He then expounded:

“We have discovered what we believe to be a weakness. You are to appear before him with me, and while he is focused on you, my Apprentice will exploit his weak point.”

Rey glanced over to the Sith girl by his side. Fire shot through Rey’s veins and bile coated her throat in peering at the woman.

So, Kylo had moved on. Of course he had... Why wouldn’t he...

But she couldn’t think about that right now.

Rey re-centered, coordinating the situation in her head. She posed:

“Say that works. Say we destroyed Palpatine. Then what? You kill me and the rest of us anyway?”

“Refusing kills your friends sooner,” Krys inputted. “And keep in mind. Palpatine never said he needed you in one piece…” The Sith fidgeted her one good lightsaber.

Rey grit her teeth. This bitch. Once again the Jedi forced herself to think.

“Why even give me an option? You’re not forcing me?”

“Compliance is preferred. Makes things smoother. You can hold your own in a fight…,” Kylo led, “But try anything stupid, and your friends are dead.”

“Besides,” Hux brought up, “What hope would the Resistance have to bring Palpatine down alone? That had been your plan before, was it not?”

Rey frustratedly weighed her options. Before, the Resistance had only the slimmest of chances of even finding Palpatine. Now, the First Order had his location, weakness, _and_ a plan.

The one good thing was at least she could trust this wasn’t some weird, elaborate hoax. The Resistance had risked their lives to obtain the leaked information, and the First Order had enacted a whole mission to capture her crew, just for this. There was a lot at stake. Palpatine was real.

If they pulled this off, perhaps there would be a chance to escape after. Or at least, in working with the First Order, it could bide time to figure out how to leave with everyone.

“So.” Kylo interrupted her thoughts. Rey’s eyes flitted to him, his helmet hiding his expression. Once again, she searched for his Light. But he hid his heart from her. “Do we have a deal?” he said. 

-

Finn’s first thought upon waking had been Poe. He prayed to the Force his partner was okay. 

But, in doing so, he observed that his own wounds had been treated, though they were only disinfected and wrapped. He’d been given no bacta for quick healing. Finn suspected that, if this was what he, a traitor of the First Order, had gotten, then his compatriots had garnered this same treatment at least. 

His next thought was he was a captured turncoat, so how was he not dead?

And then a gaggle of Stormtroopers entered his cell.

Shit. 

He was about to be. 

“FN-2187,” said the leader, cracking his knuckles. 

“JD-2458,” greeted Finn, “Heyyyy, buddyyy, good to see you. How you beeeen?”

And the leader pummeled his fist into Finn’s face. 

And the unit was upon him.

-

Krys frustratedly attempted to assemble a new lightsaber with Kylo, but it just wasn’t working. She didn’t want to remake the same kind as before, as it had promptly exploded when Rey’s blade met it. Surely there had to be better materials somewhere to circumnavigate that risk. But Kylo said the very reason lightsabers were the choice use of Force users was _because_ they were so destructive. She wracked her brain for a solution, growing more irritated every minute. She needed a break.

And she got an idea. 

She knew exactly what would make her feel better.

“I think I’ll turn in for the night,” she told Kylo. 

“Very well,” he said. “See you at 0500.”

“We’re still training?” her eyes gleamed.

“Of course. We’ll need to keep sharp for facing Palpatine. Even if you only have one dinky saber.”

She nigh elbowed him in the ribs then. He chuckled.

Kylo… chuckled. She couldn’t be more pleased. It was like things were back to normal in that moment. She couldn’t help herself but kiss him on the cheek. And he near leaned into it. Almost.

“Good night,” she said.

“Good night.”

And she left.

And Kylo’s eyes wandered over the table of lightsaber paraphernalia. On a stand in the corner was Rey’s weapon.

The twin saber.

He took it in his hand, having removed it from her when he brought her to the transporter. 

Half of it was Luke’s saber.

And Darth Vader before him. 

_Grandfather,_ hethought _._

He could feel the power hum underneath its surface, like a riptide in the sea. This heirloom belonged to him. He was amazed to have it back in his hand.

But the other saber.

Where did it come from?

He turned it over in his palms.

He had to know.

\- 

Krys walked the halls of the First Order, nigh with a skip in her step. A beat of naughtiness, too.

She _really_ wasn’t supposed to go where she headed, but she couldn’t stop herself.

Krys was going to play.

The Sith girl entered Rey’s prison chamber, this time alone. The guards stood at attention to her arrival; she commanded them,

“Leave us.”

At once the Stormtroopers began their exit, but with one last notion she added,

“And turn off the cameras.”

The Stormtroopers glanced at each other then before retreating. A moment later, Krys saw the blinking light of the lens turn off. 

Lastly, she told the med droid: “Wake her.”

And with another dosage, Rey the Last Jedi was conscious again. 

Krys smirked, watching the Jedi gasp, attempting to quickly register her surroundings again.

“Hey, Rey.” Poison dripped from Krys’ chin. “How are you feeling?”

In determining the Sith girl, Rey’s own fangs showed. “What are you doing here?”

“I figured, since we are going to be working together, we should get to know each other more.” Krys could already feel the predatory instincts arising back inside. “Nice to meet you, officially. I’m Krys _Ren_.”

She let the association hang in the air. The name. _His_ name.

Rey’s fists clenched. 

But their aloneness together pressed down on Rey. No one else was around. This was very dangerous. 

But also. Rey could use that to her advantage. Before the Sith girl came to inevitably torture her. 

And into Rey’s voice entered the most unusual cadence:

“ _Krys Ren_. You will remove these restraints and leave with the door open.”

Krys’ eyes then took a look of confusion, turning to a lack of focus. She slightly shook her head, an odd face coming upon her. 

Rey reiterated, cementing the trick, still with the odd manner of speaking: “You will remove these restraints and leave with the door open.”

Krys’ dumbed manner slowly turned to movement, as she walked forward; she raised a palm to place on the scanner. 

Rey felt a bead of sweat fall down her temple as she watched. 

When suddenly Krys broke character. She cackled terribly, laughing at Rey,

“Hahahaha, you really thought that would work? Frankly, I’m insulted. Did you already forget? The Supreme Leader… trained me.” Krys got up close to the clear walls between them. Like a big cat playing with its food, she continued to taunt: “Bet you wish you hadn’t refused him now.”

“I don’t want anything from Kylo,” Rey firmly laid down. “I only wish for Ben.”

Krys’ eye twitched. “Who’s Ben?”

Then a light kindled in Rey’s eyes. She couldn’t help but chuckle herself. Much to Krys’ confusion.

“So your Master has told you nothing then. Nothing. You don’t know a single thing about him.”

And Krys’ anger exploded. Without a logical thought, she slammed her palm into the fingerprint reader and charged up to the tied down prisoner. Rey had nowhere to go; she could only watch as Krys slammed her fist down upon the burns and cuts wrapped on Rey’s chest.

Rey screamed like she never had before.

Krys reveled in her pain. She raised her fist to bash it again, when a booming voice yelled from behind her:

“APPRENTICE!”

And her blood immediately chilled to the bone. Spinning around, her heart sank into the pits of her stomach. 

“I— ”

“What did I say?” he cut her off, “‘Not to lay a hand on the prisoner.’ We need her in fighting condition. How _dare_ you disobey me.”

“Kylo, it - ”

“That’s _Master_ to you. Now _leave_.”

Krys’ face somehow went both white and red at the same time. All she could do was stiffly bow and do as she was told. In the biggest embarrassment of her life, with tail between her legs, she departed.

A silent moment passed in the prison chamber then. After it, the med droid present saw to Rey’s injuries. The cut had reopened, already bleeding through. Rey winced, choking out dryly:

“Charming girl.”

Kylo shook his head, an attempt to calm down before he forgot why he was here. He retorted: “She’s strong. She defeated you.”

“Because the Force Connection distracted me.”

They both stilled in acknowledgement. The weight of that fact, that the Connection was back, bared down on them. Kylo checked the cameras. They were still off. He relaxed. 

“Snoke is dead,” Rey pointed out, “So why…”

“It... could be Palpatine… Snoke was Palpatine after all.”

Rey remembered that detail from their planning. After agreeing to help, Kylo had brought her up to speed. Though the concept still didn’t sit well with her. Kylo trailed on:

“So. It could be him connecting our minds again…”

Rey gazed into him. ”I don’t believe that.”

He gazed back. This was dangerous. He needed to change the subject, and quick.

“What is this?” he asked, entering into the open prison doors. He held up the unknown saber for her to see. “Where is it from?”

“Your mother.”

Kylo’s heart froze for a moment. His brows pinched.

“Leia wasn’t a Jedi,” he quizzically posed. 

“It was before you were born. She told me about it. Leia was training… when she had a vision. Then she stopped.”

“What was the vision?”

“That her child would turn to the Dark side.”

An unbearable awkward silence followed. Kylo said nothing. So Rey broke the quiet:

“But you didn’t kill her.”

“What?” 

“Back when you all were tracking the Resistance through hyperspace. She said she felt your killing intent, but you didn’t pull through with it. You could have taken the shot. But you didn’t. It wasn’t you. Why not?”

Kylo didn’t answer.

He knew coming to see Rey would be a bad idea, but he had no idea just _how_ bad.

“Ben,” Rey called him.

And a ferociousness appeared in him she did not expect. He positively wailed at her:

“NEVER call me that name again. Never again. _Never_.”

She practically flinched. But as soon as his animal showed its claws, it retreated. A swirl of unease whirled about him in the Force.

Rey ached for him. 

“Leia still wants you home, you know. She still holds out hope. Everyday. That you’ll come back.”

“Stop this,” Kylo commanded, or pleaded. “I’m the fucking Supreme Leader now. Can’t you see I’ve made my choice?”

Yet his eyes told other stories.

Rey felt it.

There it was.

The pull to the Light.

“I saw you turn. In the vision… you turned.”

“Yeah well. Remember that I saw you turn as well.”

“The Dark side has nothing for me,” Rey pushed.

“We’ll see,” Kylo laid.

They took one last look at each other. He never wanted to leave, but he knew for the good of his resolve, the good of the First Order, of everything, he needed to.

“Rest,” he said.

And before she could say anything, he laid another Force sleep upon her.

And again Rey slipped into the darkness.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I think we have hit the HALFWAY POINT IN THIS STORY YOU GUYS. Or maybe not even. There is still... SO MUCH LEFT. Strap in for a RIDE because we are no where near close to being done LOL let's GOOOOO
> 
> Thank you for reading!  
> For more Reylo content, find me on tumblr as @KyloWithAZukoArc! If you do, please message me I'd love to link up!!


	22. Chapter 22

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Force connection is back babyyyy. And Krys makes a new connection of her own.

Krys retreated to her room, a flood of every untamable emotion awash in her. She’d come to Rey to gloat, but had left chided like a child. The shame scraped against her, and as it touched her bones, it swirled into fear, fear for what her Master would do to her. And more than that. Frustration. Frustration the Supreme Leader always seemed to come to Rey’s defense. Krys was his Apprentice. Rey was the enemy. And yet. And _yet_.

The unholy cocktail of feelings exploded then, amassing into fury. She cut on her saber and let loose.

She destroyed her mirror, her dresser drawer, her side table, even the wall. A feral yell echoed out of her.

How was it that they were winning, yet at every turn, she felt like she had lost?

And then _he_ stepped inside.

Kylo Ren held the omnicode for every locked door, and he entered without so much as a greeting.

A deer in headlights, Krys gripped her saber, all the little fires burning around her. Kylo took a moment, the familiarity of such a scene hitting him. And Krys was shaking. She couldn’t stop shaking.

“Master. I-”

And he Force blasted her against the wall.

An unforgettable pain clawed itself into her then. Not from the impact, but from fangs teething at her mind.

He brazed: “You have disobeyed me yet again, Apprentice. You’ve become insubordinate.”

She shivered from his power. That odd worship tinged at the frame of her soul. And sheer terror.

“Must I teach you again the lesson of pain?”

And his fangs sank all the way in. Kylo entered her mind fully. He would tear it apart.

It was the same as before. The fire in her chest. The pressure of a scream. And the deeper he delved, Kylo realized it all. There he found her possessiveness, her anger and rage, but, in unearthing all the layers, he also found the question:

_Who is Ben?_

And he flinched.

His mind recoiled.

And Krys felt his misstep.

And without thinking, she took it.

She reached back.

And she saw it.

Just a glimpse of it, but solid and clear:

Kylo’s childhood.

His real name.

Ben Solo.

Of Han Solo.

There was his mother.

Leia, the force sensitive General of the Resistance. How could that be?

Krys recognized the Wookiee they had subdued, too. Even the droids. Lando...

And Luke fucking Skywalker.

All with Ben, as the young boy held a blue lightsaber.

A blue lightsaber…

But before she could see more, Kylo ripped her gaze out of him.

He stepped back as if suffering a punch, and she fell to the floor, dropping from his hold. They both panted relentlessly, each aghast, but for different reasons.

Kylo had blood ties with the Resistance?

Krys had inverted his invasion?

Neither knew how to react.

The only thing to escape her lips was,

“ _Ben_?”

Like flame meeting gasoline, Kylo cut on his saber in retaliation, raising it back at his Apprentice. Instinctively, she readied hers as well.

And they stopped.

Staring each other down.

What was there to say?

“Where did you hear that name?” he pried.

Krys supplied, “You know.”

Kylo clenched his jaw. The Jedi knew too many things. This, among other reasons, was why he had kept her asleep. Apparently, it hadn’t been enough.

Krys stuttered, unsure if she should bow or keep her stance: “It... It was an accident. Forgive me, Master. I didn’t mean...”

Kylo gripped his weapon even harder, seeing the fear in her eyes.

“I should destroy you for it,” Kylo said. “That wasn’t for you to see. I should...”

Krys waited for his next move, completely unsure of what would happen next. She hadn’t moved an inch. But then Kylo sighed. His shoulders dropped. With saber falling to his side, he held his head.

“You’re lucky we need you in top condition, too.”

Krys nervously dropped her position then. In a spit of hope, she aimed to reach him while she still could.

“This doesn’t change anything,” she said.

“What?” He peered back up to her.

“You didn’t care where I came from. I don’t care where you come from.”

Kylo’s lips parted. He hadn’t expected that. A small release of tension crossed him over. But before he could say anything, Krys added:

“As long as you’re here with me here in the Dark, everything is fine.”

And his heart wretched. But his walls were still up; he didn’t let her see it.

He’d been right. He could never tell her.

He could never show her his true self. Never be real with her.

She’d never accept him.

She just confirmed it.

So he disregarded her reply:

“I reserve judgement for now. We’ll revisit your punishment later, Apprentice...”

And he cut off his saber.

Without another word, he exited back out through the door, the little fires now her only company.

In the end, Kylo hadn’t really hurt her, and yet Krys was still left in pieces.

-

The Supreme Leader lumbered back to his quarters. It was late. It was so late. The day had had so many twists and turns, and he was exhausted. But his thoughts raced as he readied for bed.

His Apprentice was completely out of control. She wantonly disobeyed him, and he had only empty threats for her. How could he reign her in, punish with proper severity, without totally incapacitating her for the coming battle?

At least she still wanted to please him. At the end of the day, that was what she desired. Always. He had to keep that. And Krys didn’t seem to envy his position. She wanted power for power’s sake. So for now, that was helpful.

But her strength was growing. Krys increased in the Force everyday. It made him nervous now. Proud, but nervous. This wasn’t supposed to be a problem for some time, but she had already reversed his hold on her. It reminded him of his and Rey’s first encounter.

_Rey._

And at that very moment, as if his thoughts had summoned her, Rey appeared. Still sleeping in her medical bed, she now lied at his side as he reclined on his own mattress.

 _Good fucking god_ , he thought to himself, _Not here, not now. Not like this._

Rey’s fierceness lay dormant beneath her visage. He tried to ignore her presence, but god, he couldn’t _not_ look at her. Without meaning to, his eyes poured over her, and she was so lovely. He couldn’t stand it. He thought his memories had become hyperbole in his head, but really, they were nothing compared to reality.

He knew with merely a snap of his fingers, he could awaken her if he wanted from the Force sleep.

Or worse.

He could reach over and touch her. Do whatever he wanted.

He shouldn’t. Fuck. No. He couldn’t. Never. Never could he. No.

But then the unthinkable happened.

“... Ben...,” she mumbled in her sleep. His heart bled right there and then. Was she dreaming about him in the Force hold? Could she feel him now?

“Rey,” he whispered. Every layer of his defenses were completely shot in that moment. His longing lay stretched out thin. Ever so gently, he reached out a hand to push a errant strand of hair out of her face. She slightly moaned to it.

Could she hear him? Could she not?

It didn’t matter.

He confessed.

“Rey... I’ve thought about you every day since we first met. I can’t get you out of my head. There’s nothing more I want than for you to be by my side, safe and warm. It’s been driving me insane. I have to know... I offered you my hand once. You wanted to take it. Why didn’t you?”

And slowly, ever so slowly, Rey’s eyes cracked open.

And his heartbeat went into overdrive.

-

Krys’ room was now attended by repair droids. She would have to be relocated to a backup dormitory in the meantime for all the wreckage she had caused.

But she knew she couldn’t sleep even if she wanted to. So she took a walk instead. Her mind turned over everything she had seen.

Kylo’s real name was Ben Solo?

He personally knew most of their captors?

His fucking mother was a Resistance War General?

There was so much there. And yet he didn’t want to her know any of it.

Which was his right. He didn’t have to tell her anything.

But that seemed like pretty fucking important information to keep secret. It was practically war intel.

Krys was about to obliterate even more of her surroundings on her walk, when she found Hux instead.

He stood at a large viewport area, watching the automated construction facilities perform their factory creations. Giant sparks lit through the glass. She hooked her saber back on her waist, hoping to quietly dip away, but he had already noticed her presence.

“What are you doing awake?” he threw out. Always, always there was an air of criticism in Hux’s voice. It irritated her to no end. Why did everything that came out of his mouth have to be so annoying?

“What, you’re awake too,” she railed back. She moved to pass by him, when, to her surprise, he actually engaged in conversation:

“The First Order leak,” he expounded. “I’m working that out.”

She paused in her step, remembering. “Right. You’re overseeing the investigation.”

She considered. Perhaps a diversion might actually be nice here. 

So, for the first time ever, she willingly decided to join Hux for a chat. She detected a bit of nervousness in him as she did.

“Any suspects?” she inquired, now also observing the auto-builders.

“Yes, actually. A Stormtrooper who would have the capabilities to send out an encrypted message. To hide his tracks.”

“How’d you come to that conclusion?”

“He was a higher rank that we didn’t actually train from birth. His sympathies may still be with the people he was... _recruited_ from.”

“I see. Well then. You seem to have a good lead. Why does that keep you awake?”

Hux fidgeted, then answered, “Makes me wonder what else they have leaked to the outside. What secrets they may have spread about the Order.”

“No worries. You’ll beat it out of them,” Krys weirdly encouraged. She noted the strangeness. Why was she being nice to Hux? Must be because he complimented her earlier. Olive branch.

Hux didn’t acknowledge her sentiment. Instead he asked,

“And you? Why aren’t you asleep?”

Krys sat on that. Should she talk?

She was already in deep shit enough as is. Kylo said she wasn’t going to be punished until later. What more could he possibly do to her? Maybe he would never find out if she talked.

She decided to make the most of it. She asked the General:

“How much do you know about Lord Ren’s past?”

-

The Jedi kept still. Though half conscious, she knew the guards kept watch out front. And more, if the medical droid realized she was awake, she would be sedated again for sure, this time medically. But she had felt the warming presence of Kylo snap her from out the spell. The power of their Connection brought her out of Force Sleep. She quietly looked up to him, his words riling through her.

It did bring a softness in her. But one moment later, there was only anger.

She whispered back:

“How could you.”

-

Kylo was taken aback. Her words stung horribly. Here he had opened himself up for the first time, and that was what she had to say?

She kept her voice low, but still with a cut to it:

“You’ve made my life a living hell the past two years. How dare you say you care about me. How dare you.”

All of Kylo’s openness recoiled back into his heart then. He could have shouted -

“If you had just taken my hand, then that would have never happened!”

“And left the Resistance to die? Never.”

“They are nothing,” Kylo hissed. “They are the past. We are the future.”

“If you really felt that way, why do you keep Chewy alive? Or Lando?”

He utterly glared at her. She then went on, “You could have killed them all, leaving just one to hold over my head. But you didn’t do that. They’re all still okay.”

He growled back, “Oh good point, Rey. How about I go kill everyone now, leaving one standing? I’ll even let you pick. Who stays alive, the traitor?”

“Stop, Ben,” she said, “Stop this Dark act of yours.”

“It’s no act.”

“Yes it is. I feel your Light, even now. Stop lying to yourself.”

He could have screamed, when she silenced him with just a look. There was a wetness in her eyes. Rey pleaded to him:

“I did want to take your hand,” she confessed to him, a tear slowly falling down her face. “Ben’s hand.”

And she disappeared.

-

“The Supreme Leader’s past?” Hux phrased back. A small smirk crawled on his face. “That’s dangerous territory.”

“What do you know?”

“Mmm... What do _you_ know?”

“You first.”

Hux eyed her up and down. He liked this little game. “Lord Ren’s... personal affairs... often get in the way of our relations with the Resistance. Crait is all you need to know about that.”

“Yes… Luke Skywalker… had trained him...”

Hux nodded to her words. “Kylo became distracted. Lost us the battle. I’ll never forgive him for it.”

“I see. And he… continues to be distracted,” Krys said. Hux lifted an eyebrow to her.

“So we are critiquing the Supreme Leader now?”

“I’ll keep it secret if you do.”

Hux smiled. This was a dangerous transaction. Dragging the Supreme Leader’s name would have you killed. But how Hux loved to do it.

“Anytime you want to complain about him, I’m all ears.”

And Krys laughed. She never had anyone to talk about her experiences with, aside from Kylo. For the first time since coming to the First Order, she felt a semblance of a kinship outside of her Master. And of all people, it was with Hux. Strange.

And then a service droid approached:

“Madam Ren, your temporary quarters have been prepared for you.”

“Temp quarters’?” Hux inquired.

Krys’ face immediately went red and tried to silence the droid, but it did not comprehend her nonverbal signals. It answered the General:

“Yes, Madam Ren’s current abode is in repair from lightsaber damage.”

Krys almost threw her dagger at the droid then for spilling her business, when the most curious thing happened:

“Kylo destroyed your room?!” Hux spouted. There was... outage... on her behalf? It surprised her.

“No, no... he... It was me. It’s... It’s been a rough night.”

And he stared at her then, his face in a quizzical contorted nature. Then he broke into full laughter. His reactions continued to dumbfound her.

“Hahahaha...” His tone turned contemplative. “Living up to the name of Ren, aren’t you?”

It struck her terribly. Did she want what she wanted? Yes. Was she feeling attached to that name right now that she shared with her Master?

Krys neither confirm nor denied his observation.

“I best get to bed,” was her exit instead.

“Yes. I ought to as well,” he agreed.

And she started her leave, when she paused, still looking away. “Thank you again, by the way.”

“Hm?”

“Your words at the debrief. They meant a lot.”

She didn’t see it, but Hux smiled.

“I meant it. Glad to have you aboard.”

She peered back over him and gave her own affirmation. “General. Likewise.”

And she meant it.

“Good night, Krys Ren,” Hux bid her.

“Good night.”

And they went their separate ways.

-

Kylo could only stare at the empty spot where Rey had been. She told him. She said she wanted him too. He couldn’t believe it. She wanted him.

But she wanted Ben.

Kylo sat back completely, his insides eviscerated. In the same night, Krys had told him she only wanted his Darkness - then Rey said she only wanted his Light.

It was everything he feared.

And for the first time since he had grieved his father, Kylo cried.

The Supreme Leader cried in his chambers.

And he cried alone.

  
  


.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhhhhhhh!!!!! Were you ready for the love confession?? They have so much to work out LOL
> 
> Thank you all for reading!  
> Find me on tumblr as KyloWithAZukoArc!


	23. Chapter 23

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pieces are moving around the board now. And the Force Connection keeps getting stronger... also, a certain kitty makes an appearance.

Rey pretended to sleep. It was difficult, to say the least, with tears falling down her face.

She thought about it, how many times had Kylo seen her cry?

Made her cry?

The first had been in the interrogation chair, when he dredged up all her loneliness. The second had been in the hut, when she consulted the Dark about her parents... and returned with nothing. The third was the throne room, when he said he saw them. Her parents. That they abandoned her. Sold her for drinking money.

And now. Once more. He’d seen the streams streak down her cheeks.

He’d made her cry.

This fucking boy.

Her fucking parents.

Everything hurt.

And the streams continued to fall, until the droid stuck her again.

And she did not wake for days.

And so the week passed.

Hux busied himself with overseeing the investigation.

“Who was your informant?” asked his interrogator.

Poe spit out blood from the last punch. “We don’t know.”

Not good enough. He was punched again.

“The message had no author claim!” the pilot yelled back, “It just had the First Order brand. We literally don’t know!”

“Who was your informant?”

“RRRR!” roared back Chewy, to the tune that they should go fuck themselves. He got tazed again.

“Who was your informant?”

“How the hell should I know?” replied Lando. He got tazed too.

“Who was your informant?”

“I don’ kno’!!!” screamed Finn, barely able to speak from swollen, bloody lips.

Hux knew better not to wake Rey though. Instead, it was well agreed upon to keep her sedated as she healed.

In an alternate route, the General ordered to have the droids hacked for information.

“Well, we found the location of where Luke Skywalker was...,” a coder reported, investigating R2-D2’s data.

Hux nearly face palmed. It was a _little_ _late_ for that.

“But we also found the location of the current Resistance base,” said another, knee deep in C-3PO’s programming.

“Yes??”

“Though the last transmission sent by the droid was an emergency message. By the droid’s calculations, they would have packed up and run by now.”

And Hux sighed again.

Meanwhile, Krys remade her lightsaber, and Kylo took back control of the First Order from the Acting Commander.

Preparations for facing Palpatine were in full swing. Such questions were begged:

How much of their forces should they bring to him? Dare they pull out their occupying troops to be at maximum power? And if they killed him, would those who manned the Star Destroyers give up? Or fight back? How might the First Order arrest the ships for themselves?

And on and on and on it went.

As for the Resistance, save for Rey, their care was bare minimum. Enough to keep them alive, but with no painkillers, and long stretches of empty time, all there was to concentrate on was pain and worry.

Finn lay arrested to the bed. His right eye was swollen shut; his gums missed a few teeth on the side. His chest ached terribly from the bruises, and the blaster wound was still felt fresh as ever. And tonight, JD the night shift leader, stood guard, accompanied by another.

While Finn knew he should really just keep his mouth shut, he couldn’t help himself:

“So, like, do they still serve the same slop as two years ago? I swear this prison food ain’t much better.”

“Shut the fuck up, FN.”

“Whaat? I’m bored. And I missed you, dude,” Finn joked to his former friend.

JD looked ready to slam into the prisoner again, when the other trooper stopped him.

“Stop, JD, you and your guys are in enough shit as is for last time.”

“Quiet, TE. Do you have any idea what hell this guy put us through?”

“Huh? What do you mean?” Finn cut in.

“Like you wouldn’t know? When you left, our squad got sent to reconditioning.”

Finn’s heart dropped into his stomach.

He knew exactly how horrendous that could be. The stories. There was a reason when he left the First Order, he made sure for it to be his first offense.

“No...”

“It was shit, man. I’d kill you for it myself, but for some fucking reason management wants to keep you alive. You lucky bastard.”

Finn quivered, “JD... I’m sorry, man. I didn’t think -“

“Yeah, you’re right, you _didn’t_ think. You just ran off like there would be zero consequences. Fuck, you remember KW-2299? He’s _gone_ , FN. That was their third ‘offense.’ Because of you, they’re fucking gone.”

Finn’s spirit utterly sank to the deepest parts of himself.

“I’m... so sorry... I’m so sorry.”

“Save it,” JD spit.

And Finn silenced.

Then he didn’t,

“I get it, okay... I get why you fucked me up. I thought it was just cuz I ran, but... I don’t blame you. I would have done it myself.”

JD said nothing. TE said nothing.

“Shit like that though,” Finn transitioned, “... the recond-ing... Doesn’t it piss you off? Mess like that is why I left.”

“Don’t you speak a word of it.”

“Alright. I won’t. Just... fuck... KW is really gone...? I can’t believe it... Fuck.”

And he spent the rest of the night to himself. JD cussed under his breath, and TE shifted uncomfortably the whole while.

-

Once again, Kylo was avoiding Krys.

Burying himself in First Order business - not to mention “correcting” a few decisions Hux had made while Kylo was gone - the teacher proved absent in the dojo.

But Krys knew the real reason. He was pissed at her.

And she was pissed at him.

So Krys threw all her anger into the simulation room. She concentrated in Force drills, telling herself it was all to be in top condition to face Palpatine. But truthfully, it was to make herself stop thinking. Stop thinking about her Master. The Rey girl. Inevitabilities. Let the lasers soaring towards her focus her attention. If she wasn’t sharp, she would die. It was the best medicine to push away unnecessary thoughts.

Sweat beat down her brow now. It was getting late again. Her brain fogged from the acuteness of thought required, her body exhausted from the intensity. Hopefully she could just fall the fuck asleep by it. If the remaining adrenaline didn’t keep her up... She sighed, exiting the sim room, and powered down its components.

When a cat ran by the door.

“What the fuck?” she said to herself.

-

Hux fucking panicked. Where did the bastard go? Where did the little cretin...

He ran to and fro the hallways outside his room, hoping, praying to the Maker the little asshole wouldn’t be seen. Yet seen enough for him to find. He had made sure he put her in the box for the day. So how did she — where did they —

And there was the little goblin.

His heart.

His weakness.

His cat.

In the arms of Krys Ren.

He could have shat himself.

The way his eyes snapped right towards the kitty, like a child caught with their hand in the cookie jar, Krys could tell promptly.

“Hahaha... She yours?”

Krys pet the absolute monstrosity like it wasn’t a fucking demon. And the Sith smiled like the devil.

“Uh,” was all Hux said.

“Hahahaha,” Krys cackled. “‘No pets allowed on the First Order.’ I thought _you_ made that policy.”

“It’s complicated.”

“Complicated how?”

“Well you see. I wanted a cat.”

And Krys lost her shit.

The little kitty jumped out of her hands then, ready to scamper away once more. Hux lunged to the gremlin, when suddenly the cat began to float.

Krys’ hand lay extended, guiding the mewing troublemaker back into Hux’s arms.

“Uh...,” he said, grabbing the little jerk, “Thanks.”

“What’s their name?” Krys inquired.

He eyed the Apprentice firmly. “Mm... You aren’t going to say anything about this to anyone?”

“I won’t tell... if you won’t tell Kylo I asked about his past.”

Hux slowly relaxed then. He scratched the monster behind the ears. “Millicent.”

“Millicent,” Krys repeated, now stepping closer to give some more pets. “She’s great.”

“She’s the worst.”

“That’s the best.”

And Krys smiled at him. Hux couldn’t help it but return one in kind.

“Mutually assured destruction,” she winked.

“Mutually assured destruction,” he said.

And with that, she walked away.

And with that, Hux’s heart could have beat out of his chest.

-

Kylo flung himself into work like there was a deadline. Though truthfully... there really wasn’t one? Palpatine had only said to bring him the girl. But not _when_ to. And well. They got the girl...

They got the girl all right.

A bizarre part of Kylo thought maybe they could slow down. It was going to take time to make all the necessary preparations anyway. Might as well take their time to make sure they did it right. At least, that is what he told himself.

But deep down, he knew he just wanted more time with Rey.

More time before he was to bring her to the dark god. Before whatever was supposed to happen there happened.

And he could throw himself off a bridge for thinking it.

The truth was, and he would never admit it, but with every waking second, he hoped the Force Connection would snap on again, just for a moment, so he could see her again.

He theorized her reduced state kept it from happening.

But it didn’t stop him from hoping.

Which was stupid.

She wanted Ben.

And Ben was dead.

Kylo killed him.

Right?

Right?

_Sure_.

Kylo eternally wrestled with it all. And that night, he tossed and turned in bed. Without meaning to, he kept checking his side. Waiting for her to appear.

But she never did.

And he had the nightmare.

The Force vision.

The same one again.

It started the way it always did.

There was the three hair-bunned little girl. Her screaming to the ship that carried her parents away. The monster that held her back.

But there was a different feel to it this time.

It was still an unnatural dream. But now, there was an other sense to it. A familiar kind. The vision felt less like a vision and more like... a memory.

The little girl felt it too. She spun around.

“Ben?”

And there Kylo was, or who he was at that time. Just a little Padawan, with an ill fitting tunic and his blue lightsaber.

“Rey?” he replied.

And in a flash, the picture changed. The sad little girl was no longer little. Or sad. Instead, she sat on the Dark throne. Her eyes red. They met his the way they always did. He stood before her in full First Order presentation.

Rey spoke to him, “The Force Connection. It’s getting… stronger.”

Kylo affirmed, “We’re dreaming… it’s connected our dreams now…”

Rey looked to her sabers, they both shined a terrifying red. “Is this what you saw?” she asked him. 

He felt her perfect meaning. “It was after the hut... Palpatine... showed me these things.”

 _Palpatine_ , he roared internally.

“Do you know what I saw?” said the empress, the red of her sabers lighting her visage.

“What?” he replied.

And once again, the entire scene changed.

A land of green shew before them. There wasn’t an inch not covered in it. Rey and Kylo looked at themselves, now dressed as harvesters.

And little feet padded towards them.

Two pairs.

“Daddy!!” screamed the daughter.

“Momma!!” yelled the son.

And Kylo’s soul almost broke in two. Innately, somehow, he already knew their names.

“Leia,” he spoke to the little girl.

“Anakin,” Rey addressed the little boy.

And the children giggled and squealed, crawling up into their arms.

It was too good to be true.

It had to be.

Rey hugged her son, their son, tightly against her chest. She turned to Kylo then, yet again, another tear crawling down her cheek. 

“I’ve thought about it every day since we first touched hands.”

And Kylo could have died right there and then. But he had his daughter to hold. 

“Rey.” He could have kissed her. “Rey. I—”

But then suddenly, Rey’s face turned to pure fucking rage. 

She was goddamn furious.

“ _Who is she_?” Rey bade him.

“What? Who?” Kylo asked, surprised.

And from the darkness, two red lights appeared. Stepping forward came the mirage of his Apprentice, yellow eyed and all. 

“Oh,” Kylo said.

_Shit._

“Her.”

And their children disappeared from their arms.   
  


  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did I say this story has a happy ending? It has a happy ending. =)
> 
> Thank you so much for reading!
> 
> For more Reylo content, find me on tumblr as KyloWithZukoArc!


	24. Chapter 24

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kylo and Rey have a lot to work out. And something is stirring within the Stormtroopers.

Kylo could barely reply.

“She’s...”

His mind raced in remembrance. The words of his time with Krys echoed all around them:

_You will teach me. I will be your hand. I will be your blade. Use me. Refine me._

“She’s my Apprentice.”

_The Ren does not stop to care for what it is burning, or the right or wrong of it._

“She came to me... when you left.”

_I would never betray you like that._

Rey looked away.

“Did you offer her your hand?” the Jedi prodded, her bones like glass. “Like you did to me?”

_Where you gave me your energy, I still feel you there. Everyday._

“No, no, I didn’t... I...”

 _I will never betray you, Apprentice_.

That one hurt. “Is that all she is to you? A student?” Rey crushed out.

 _Kylo_...

“I don’t...”

_As long as you’re here with me in the Dark, everything is fine._

“I don’t know.”

Rey shook her head. She’d heard enough.

“I’m done.”

“Please, Rey... You, you were gone.”

“And whose fault is THAT?”

Then the world around them wiped away. Rey’s face scrunched into hatred.

“Forget it,” she croaked out. “I’m here to help you destroy Palpatine. Then you’ll kill us all. And you can go back to your _Sith girl_.”

“Rey, please, don’t say - ”

“Don’t say what? You already told me you made your choice. You’re the _Supreme Leader_. You’ve chosen the Dark. The First Order. Her. I can’t believe I ever hoped for anything else. I was stupid to think - ”

“I LOVE _YOU_. OKAY?!” Kylo fucking yelled.

He’d fucking _screamed_ it at her.

Rey lost all her air.

“I always have,” Kylo choked, “Something inside me always has. Even before I knew you, I loved you. I don’t know how, but it’s true. And I _continue_ to love you. I can’t _stop_ loving you. And god I have tried. Everyday I have tried. But you mean everything to me, Rey. Please. Please just let me have this dream with you. It’s all I could ever ask for. I know you want it, too. Please, Rey. I know you do...”

He inched closer to her. His hand reaching, yearning. He was almost touching her. He was going to have her. Hold her, kiss her, taste her. She was shaking. Trembling. He was going to do it. It was going to happen.

“It’s not enough,” Rey hit. And his hand stopped short.

Every ounce of strength in Kylo left in that moment.

The last thing he saw was her walking away, tear streaked, resolute into the Light.

And he woke up.

Lying there in the rejection. In a puddle of sweat, his heart in ribbons.

So. They were back to square one.

Rey had made herself clear.

It was never going to happen.

Not until one of them gave in.

And neither was giving in.

So it was set.

He would bring her to Palpatine.

And whatever happened next, happened next.

But they were never going to be together.

Not even in dreams.

Kylo clenched his pillow in the most god forsaken way.

It wasn’t fair.

It wasn’t _fair_.

But that was just the way it was.

And his alarm sounded.

The next day had begun.

He was time to be the Supreme Leader again.

It was time to leave behind all this foolishness.

Kill it if he had to.

So Kylo readied for the day.

Becoming Lord Ren again.

The Sith ruler again.

The Master again.

It was time he saw his Apprentice.

-

Morning in the prison ward meant the changing of the guard. Finn hadn’t slept a wink that night, his spirit irked from the guilt and the inability to fix it all. By now, JD and TE were almost off shift, impatiently awaiting for their relief, when an announcement came through the speaker:

“JD-2458, report to Division 92. JD-2458, report to Division 92.”

And JD’s stomach dropped to the fucking floor.

“Fuck.”

“Fuck,” repeated TE.

A moment of silence passed.

“It’ll be alright,” TE encouraged.

“It better be. I’ve done nothing fucking wrong. Jesus... Right as I’m about to turn in too…”

“Ain’t that the way... You better get going, man.”

“Yeah. Yeah,” JD commented, and a few moments later, he was gone.

Finn’s brow raised upon his leaving. 

“... What’s going on?” the traitor asked. He and TE were alone now.

Normally, TE would ignore prisoners’ questions. But right now, he was speaking to someone who would... _get it_. And what would it hurt if FN knew?

“It’s the inquisition... for the leak.”

“Oh.” The weight of it all hit Finn’s shoulders. “Shit.”

“Yeah...,” TE flatly replied.

Another beat of silence passed.

“You all… really don’t know who did it?” TE spoke out. 

“No. Not whatsoever.”

Not that TE should trust what a traitor had to say, but he sighed anyway. 

“He’ll be fine,” Finn assured. “JD has always been fiercely loyal to the First Order... no matter how much he gets jerked around.”

“Yeah...” was still all TE could say, “... Yeah.”

The fear settled in him. 

And TE nervously looked about. There wasn’t much time before the shift change. He shouldn’t do what he wanted to do next. But he was already talking. And he may never get this chance again.

So he went for it.

“So uh...,” TE’s voice quietly quivered, “you know that shark creature thing? And mechanic?”

“Huh?” Finn said, surprised at the subject change.

TE looked every which way and, double checking his mic was off, whispered to Finn through the barriers:

“You know... the ones who killed our Troopers on Pasaana.”

“Yeah?”

“They were rewarded for it.”

“ _What_?” Finn spiked. His interest was now at 2000%.

“Shhh. Yeah. The biggest chunk of change the First Order has ever given out... They gave it to the hunters that, _for no good reason_ , killed our men.”

“That is some bullshit,” Finn cussed out in a hushed tone.

“YES. It _is_ bullshit,” TE looked over his shoulder. He couldn’t stop himself now: “I was there making sure they wouldn’t duck out, you know? And _Madam Ren_ ,” he said her name with distaste, “gave the order. ‘Get them their money,’ she said. The fucking cunt.”

“That the new Sith girl?”

“Yeah. Krys Ren. She’s awful. You know what was the first thing she did when she got here?”

“What?”

“She ran to the Command Center, breaking all protocol, killed _two_ of our guys. Then the Supreme Leader made her his _Apprentice_.”

“What the fucking hell?”

“Yeah, see!! It’s like they _award_ those who destroy us! And _now_ they’re keeping the biggest bounty _alive_? Rey killed our fucking _leader,_ and she hasn’t been executed? It makes no sense.”

While Finn was definitely _happy_ to hear Rey wasn’t dead, he still understood.

“Ya’ll are fucking fodder to them,” Finn resonated, “Everyone is expendable. They don’t fucking care.”

“They don’t care if it’s two of us, 200, or 2,000,” TE ranted; it tumbled out of him: “We give everything we have to them, and they throw us away like trash.”

“Fuck em,” Finn hated.

“Yeah. _Fuck em_ ,” TE agreed.

And then the main door opened. Two more troopers came through for the morning job. In a snap, TE stood back up straight.

“Alright TE, you can piss off now,” yelled one of the reliefs.

“Yeah? What took you assholes so long?” TE shafted back. “Not like I heard _your_ names on the intercom.”

“Oh go get your dinner, idiot.”

“Psh, breakfast time more like.”

And they continued to banter.  
Meanwhile, Finn inwardly raged. Everything he hated about the Order fired back up in his bones. From the recond-ing, inquisitions, the disrespect. But he had to keep it quiet... for that one trooper’s sake. He couldn’t tip off that TE had confided in him. He didn’t want anyone else killed on his behalf.

So he reigned himself in as much as possible.

But goddamnit, man. Fuck the First Order.

Fuck em all.

-

0500.

Krys warmed up for the day, practicing her forms. She jabbed and parried and uplifted. She sidestepped and swiped. Threw and caught.

All of it, but never expecting to see Kylo walk through the door.

“Master?” she paused her attacks. His energy was completely silenced. His expression unreadable.

But he definitely looked tired.

On bated breath, she waited to hear what he had to say.

Would he be angry? Apologetic? Stern? Longing?

The energy from his healing still churned in her. Even now, it tugged. She’d hated his guts for days now, but only because she cared.

Because she wanted him.

Wanted him back.

She could bear his punishing hand. His anger. His training.

Because, then, he _saw_ her.

But his silence. Him walking past her. His gaze to someone else.

 _That_ killed her.

At last, he finally spoke:

“Apprentice. You are to join me again today in the War Room. General Hux has a report to present, and you are required to be there.”

Ah.

So. It was business then.

Like nothing had ever happened. Like everything was normal.

She nodded. She would work with that.

Krys bowed.

“Yes, Master.”

At that, he took up his saber.

“But first... How have your forms been going?”

And the smallest warmth arose in her soul. Standing back up, she peered up to see him looking at her.

She inwardly smiled.

“Decent,” she replied, “But fighting droids can only go so far.”

The corners of Kylo’s lips wearily raised. “Well. Let us fix that.”

And he readied his stance.

And, jumping to it, she picked up hers.

 _Finally_ , Krys thought. _Finally._

It was like everything was okay again.

They cut on their sabers together and went to spar like it was their very first time.

-

Finn’s days and nights were mixed up now. Later, Finn woke up from a “nap” that only happened from complete exhaustion. He had awoken from hearing unrest from the guards.

They all spoke in hushed, concerned, fearful tones. But there were enough of them talking that it drove him out of his nightmares. Even TE was there. 

Seeing them like this... How many pow wows had he been a part of that went just like that?

Too many.

His heart fucking sank.

Finn spoke out, his voice breaking:

“They got him... didn’t they?”

The group all snapped around to face him then.

“JD...” Finn could have cried. He took in the worry of the room. “They took JD, didn’t they?”

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back and forth Kylo damn
> 
> Thank you for reading!!!  
> I aim to update twice a week if not once a week. Let’s connect on Tumblr! Find me as @KyloWithAZukoArc


	25. Chapter 25

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hux delivers a report as Finn talks with Stormtroopers. And can you say, dream sequence?

“General. Report,” commanded Kylo.

Once more, the leaders of the First Order were gathered around the conference table. Krys sat by Kylo’s side as Hux led the presentation. The General could barely keep in his self-satisfaction, smiling:

“We have officially secured the leak.”

-

“They really took him, didn't they?” Finn’s voice shook. 

The troopers consulted each other with silent glances. They shouldn’t confirm or deny the query. They should silence the traitor, make FN wish he’d never spoken out of turn.

But they all flocked to him instead.

-

“Wow... That was quick,” commented General Pryde. 

“ _Well_ ,” General Hux went on, “We had a shortlist from the beginning to to work with. We started with who knew the traitor - unrest _breeds_ , as you all know. In looking through his original squad, we determined who now had the authority to send an encrypted message. Then of those, who might have motive. A shift leader in block 1167 fit those terms. Upon confronting the Stormtrooper - JD-2458 - he confessed.”

-

“You motherfucker,” one of the troopers hissed at Finn, “JD really _was_ the leak, wasn’t he?”

“No! It. I mean...” Finn grasped at words that weren’t there, “I mean I don’t know? JD and I were buds, yeah. But I have no idea who did it. None of the Resistance do…”

-

Hux expounded: “We found the original message sent. It had been forwarded to a former First Order prisoner that belonged to JD’s block. The contact then in turn sent it to the Resistance.”

“Why did he do it?” Kylo Ren asked Hux.

“JD-2458 was not First Order grown. He was… _recruited_ from Gardu, one of our experiments before the train-from-birth policy was enacted. We believe he harbored grievances about it. His relationship with the traitor, clearly, increased them.”

-

Finn babbled: “JD believed in the First Order though… everyone knew that.”

The group lightly nodded amongst themselves. Finn kept on:

“He always said his family life had been shit. When he came here, it gave him security, food, order, meaning… Hell, he was the first to throw punches at me when I got back…”

A selection of soldiers who had all gotten in a punch at Finn also agreed. 

-

Krys inquired: “Did JD-2458 release any other information?”

“No,” Hux replied. “It appears he had been waiting to act at the right moment. Palpatine was that moment.”

-

One of the troopers spoke: “We thought it was weird, too. Out of no where.”

“He confessed though,” said another. 

“That’s what they _say_ ,” said one more. 

“Well…,” TE supposed, addressing FN, “When you left, wasn’t it _your_ first offense?”

“I mean, yeah,” Finn answered. 

“Then maybe this was JD’s…,” TE wondered. “Could he have been playing an act the whole time…?”

-

“Why release information about Palpatine though?” another leader inquired.

“Clearly,” Hux replied, “to expose a threat to the First Order. So the Resistance could strike while our attention was diverted.”

“Interesting logic…,” Krys commented. “But if he confessed to it…”

Hux nodded firmly. 

-

Another trooper spoke up: “Well… you know, maybe he really did do it.” Everyone turned to look at him. “I know after KW died, JD was real torn up about it. Furious at the higher ups.”

“And at FN.”

Finn had to look away at that point. 

A last trooper commented: “It could be… that when you got caught, he was extra pissed. Like that he risked his life to get out the info, but for nothing… That KW died for nothing…”

Finn’s face lost all its blood. 

His chest tightened horribly. 

This was his fault.

It was entirely his fault.

-

“The spy has since been dealt with,” Hux’s lips curled tightly, “We will disperse the information all throughout the Order to show what happens to turncoats. A reminder.”

“Surely,” Pryde tried to put this delicately, “If we decide to… _not_ wait to eliminate the other traitor in our hold, we could make an example of them both.”

“In time,” answered Kylo Ren. “In time. When Palpatine has been dealt with, we will address the matter of the prisoners and the Resistance.”

Krys smiled to herself. 

She couldn’t wait for that day. 

As long as everything went according to plan… it would all be simply _marvelous_. 

-

A heaviness blanketed the cell block. Another stormtrooper gone. Without fanfare. It didn’t even matter that JD had been in a position of leadership. There was no funeral to be had.

When someone disappeared in the First Order, they were gone forever. 

The worst part was the questions. The not knowing. So JD really did it? And if so, what was going through his head? Why did he have to die?

But there would be no closure. It was all so unceremonious. And like always, it happened so fast. 

Finn was sick of it. 

Everyone was sick of it.

Having gone through this same ringer before, time and time again, there was nothing left to say. Helpless and jaded, the group began to disperse. But as they went, TE looked out to Finn’s swollen eye. He sighed. 

“I’ll get you some bacta,” TE offered. He made his leave before Finn could even reply. 

It wasn’t much. But that small kindness encouraged Finn. 

It helped as much as anything could. 

_-_

Rey’s mind twisted and turned in dreamland.

Thoughts both logical and not floated through her system.

The island again. 

Her parents’ ship leaving again. 

The heat of Jakku. 

The worry for Finn and Poe and Chewy and Lando and all the Resistance. 

And Kylo.

He said he’d loved her. 

She remembered his face, how it contorted in his confession. 

Desperate.

Pleading.

Wanting.

And deep inside, she felt the exact same way.

But he would never change. 

He said he cared. But he was bringing her to Palpatine. 

He held her and her friends prisoner.

He'd promised loyalty to the Sith girl.

And he was never going to change. 

For the passed two years, Rey had clung to her visions of the future. It was her hope. Her Light. She dreamt it in the cold and held it through countless midnights. A reason to keep fighting. To believe in him. 

But it had all been a lie.

A _lie_.

Crushing emptiness filled her mind space.

But _his_ vision. 

Her turning. 

Was that a lie as well?

It was why Palpatine wanted her. Why all of this was happening in the first place. 

Fear creeped inside. The myths and stories of Palpatine’s power touched every corner of the universe. 

She was going to face… _him_?

With two other Sith?

What was he going to _do_ to her?

Even if the plan was to destroy him… Sidious was practically a god. Kylo’s information had made that clear enough. When the Resistance had first launched from their base to get Palpatine, they knew it was bad. But they had no idea just _how_ bad.

What hope did they possibly have in confronting the Emperor of Darkness? If he could see so much, would he already know their plan?

Chills ran up and down her spine at the thought of it. And a horrible notion in tow. 

The blackest parts of her soul washed up, the fear and terror and anxiety. And from it, the sight of her Dark self arose. The Jedi trembled.

It was like the cave again. The ongoing mirrored reflections of herself. But this time, the further she went, the less the Light touched.

And at its very end there stood the Queen of Darkness. 

And she bared her fangs. 

And _roared_. 

-

Kylo awoke in a fright.

His heart raced, his chest heaved for air, and a reddened image burned itself on the back of his retinas. The first thought of his very soul remained -

_Rey._

“Fuck,” he released, shaking his head, “Stop. No. Stop. Stop this.”

The aftermath of a nightmare that did not belong to him replayed and replayed. 

Her fear pumped through his veins, her anxiety meshed with his. There came a point where he could not tell where her feelings ended and his began. And he hated it. 

No matter how much he tried to separate himself, she always came crashing back into him.

“Stop it. Fucking. Stop it,” he said to no one. He said to her. He said to himself. He said to the Force itself.

But to no avail.

There was no way he was getting back to sleep now. He checked the clock, 0306. There were two more hours until he had to officially suck everything up and play his role - _roles_ \- in the First Order again.

For two hours, he didn’t have to be strong.

He could think. Meditate. Pray.

At times like these, Kylo had always beseeched the spirit of his Grandfather. But after last time, the complete disaster of _last time_ , he had long since hidden Darth Vader’s mask away. 

He had almost destroyed it entirely. But a thin string had kept him from unleashing his saber upon it.

0335 now.

Kylo dug out the helmet.

-

Krys was back in the swamp.

And for the first time in her life, she dreaded it.

Every sight before this she had held steadfast. They had driven her, moved her, inspired her. And now, she did everything in her power to reject it.

She felt it coming on. The Dark side. The scene she knew she would see. The death of her Master… Rey in his arms. The shapes began to unveil themselves. It was starting. And she… she couldn’t…

“No. Stop this. Stop,” she pushed back. But the forms came more and more into clarity, despite herself. There again was her mirrored counterpart, the anger and spite arising. The power with it.

“No. No. _Wake up_ ,” she urged her being. “Wake up, wake up, wake up, _wake up_.”

-

Rey begged for wakefulness, too. Begged for this to end. While Kylo had awoken from their tether, she literally couldn’t. 

Kylo’s vision of her Darkness haunted her soul now. He’d given it to her, and she despised every part of it. Yet she could not escape its grasp. 

The Queen of Darkness peered inside her now. Inescapable. All seeing. All consuming.

But what the Queen saw inside Rey was the same that Rey saw in the Queen.

Within them both, Rey found sunburns and scars. The scorching of Jakku beating upon her. How the forever desert didn’t care her stomach ached until she was weak in the knees, or that she could hardly speak from the dryness in her throat. She found Unkar Plutt, his acrid smell of dead rat and festering oily sweat. His terrible grip on her shoulder. She saw her young self, barely a teenager, running from room to room, as he held his hand up to smite her.

And suddenly, Rey was back on the tiny, thin mattress, there, within her corner of Unkar’s hut. She relived the memory, nursing bruises and cuts. Without meaning to, she found the words repeating from her lips - “They’ll come back for me. They’ll come back for me. They’ll come back for me.”

But her parents never did.

The wall of tally marks stretched from one end of the universe to the other.

And they never came back. 

-

Kylo placed the sacred relic upon its stand. Every detail he remembered of it still remained. How it contorted into a misshapen ideal. Like Darth Vader himself had twisted into something else upon his destruction.

“Grandfather…,” Kylo barely so much as whispered, “ _Why_ … Why have you never spoken to me? As a Jedi… I was always taught to seek guidance from the past. All those years, I thought it was you in my mind. But it _wasn’t_. 

“So. You… you never cared? You never heard me? Or is the Great Darth Vader gone? Palpatine lives, but you were too weak to carry on? Are you really… you are really not there… Grandfather?”

Kylo felt nothing for a long, long while.

But then from the shadows came something he had never heard before:

“ _I’ve always been here, Ben.”_

-

Krys shut her proverbial eyes as she heard the laughter she knew so well ring in her ears. She tried to shut it out, block her ears, stop everything. But despite it all, she still felt the slaughter.

The reveling of her Dark form.

Even now she could sense her lover’s demise.

Could envision the Jedi in his arms.

_God, why? Why is this happening?_

_Why do I keep seeing this?_

_Stop._

_STOP._

_STOP!!_

She frayed out beyond all comparison:

“Wake up. Wake up. Wake up. _Wake up_ , _WAKE UP!_ ”

-

Rey the Scavenger cried and cried. She was now back in her AT-AT, no one there to comfort her, to tell her everything would be alright. Only herself, broken prayers, the uncaring blackness of night.

And the Queen of Darkness.

“ _Why_ …,” Rey tearfully lulled, “Why… why did they leave me? Why didn’t they love me? … How… How could they do this to me… I waited for so long… Every day I hoped… I…”

And as she sobbed, the Dark of her looked on. Standing there, the Queen watched as Rey felt all the pain in the world.

-

Kylo could have fallen off his chair.

“You… This… Palpatine, this had better not be _you_. _Palpatine!_ ”

 _“I am not he,”_ the echoing voice replied. It sounded nothing like what would come through a vintage breather, though. Neither was there any hint of Darkness in it. In fact the presence actually felt… warm.

Kylo gasped when he heard:

“ _I… am Anakin Skywalker.”_

-

The short blades had struck. The bodies had fallen. Krys pinched herself, cut herself, bat her hands against her temples, anything she could do to wake up. She hated it. She hated it unlike else anything she had hated before.

 _No,_ she thought _._

And Krys grounded her feet. This wasn’t going to happen.

She and Kylo _promised_ they would never betray each other. Over and over they. And they meant it.

They _meant it,_ dammit _._

“PALPATINE!” she utterly belted, “This is you, _isn’t it_?! Trying to fuck with me?! Make me doubt myself, doubt _him_. You think you can come between us? That Rey will come between us? Well you’re _wrong_. You’re _WRONG!_ ”

And the swamp completely disappeared.

-

“Why… _Why_ …,” Rey repeated endlessly into the ether.

All around them was nothingness now. As if she looked out to see space with no stars. No shining of light. Not even one sun to guide her by.

And the Darkness overseeing spoke at last:

_“Makes you angry. Doesn’t it?”_

Rey’s body firmly stilled, eyes wide.

“What?”

 _“I said… it makes you angry,”_ Dark Rey replied, _“Doesn’t it…?”_

_-_

“This can’t be real,” Kylo spoke out. “Anakin… Anakin was _destroyed_.”

_“The same way Ben Solo was destroyed?”_

Kylo wretched.

“This isn’t right,” Kylo reeled out. “You’ve never spoken to me before. Why here? Why now?”

_“I’ve always spoken to you, Ben. Everyday. But you never listen.”_

_“_ What do you mean?”

 _“The Pull to the Light…,”_ the voice softly spoke into him, _“I’ve been trying to tell you for years… It’s time you embraced it.”_

-

Krys was a feral animal. She snarled like one, the hair stood on the back of her neck like one, she hunched like she was ready to strike.

“He is _mine,”_ she seethed to the ghost, “ _We_ will rule the galaxy. Not _you_. _You_ will rot in eternity. I swear it, Palpatine. I goddamn swear it. I will never give in. Never. And you can go FUCK YOURSELF.”

And she screamed. She screamed into the bloody, bloody night, into her skull and into the future.

-

“I…,” Rey was speechless. “Of… Of course, I’m angry.”

 _“Do you hate them?_ ” her Dark self inquired. 

“What? No… I… They… They’re dead, s-so … m-maybe they just died before they could came back for me…”

_“They were never coming back. You know this aleady.”_

“I… I-I just…”

_“Do you hate them?”_

“NO,” Rey screeched. She snapped into focus, her training with Leia kicking in. “STOP. I know what you're trying to do. Lead me down the path of anger and pain and hatred. But I am wise to your ways. I will _never_ go there.”

_“You speak as if we are different. But we are one in the same.”_

“No. I know what I must do. I… just have to let go. To keep onto the Light. I know it. I’ll never hate them… It just. It just HURTS.”

-

Kylo kicked back to the being of Light:

“What… the fuck? What… what the _fuck_?” He could have blazed his saber right then and there. “What are you saying? Vader… My entire life I have worshipped you as the pinnacle of Darkness. And now you come to tell me you have been calling me to the Light? All this time? How… how fucking dare you. HOW DARE YOU.”

-

Krys salivated like a beast. She bashed her energy at her mirrored self, waiting for them to reveal theirself as the Dark Emperor. To finally admit it, that she had caught him in the act. She couldn’t be fooled.

But the Dark being only looked upon the dead at their feet. It did not acknowledge her presence.

“SAY SOMETHING,” Krys bellowed out to the incarnation.

And for the first in ever having the dream, ever since her childhood, ever since Kylo started training her, the Dark of Krys peered back.

-

The Queen of Darkness looked upon Rey’s fierceness. It ingested her words, that she would never hate. That Rey would ascend from such things. That the Dark was not for her. 

_“Oh. But you will,”_ chuckled her Dark self. _“You… will…”_

And from the endless night there came a terrible lightning strike.

The massive energy beam of a Star Destroyer skated across the galaxy.

And everything shown blue. And everything turned red.

_-_

The Great Late Jedi answered, _“Because I understand.”_

Kylo stilled as he looked upon the helmet, hearing the words in his very soul.

 _“I understand what you are going through,”_ Anakin Skywalker spoke to him, _“The Push to the Dark. The Pull to the Light. I held these dichotomies within myself until the bitter end. I refused the Light the whole while... Until I couldn’t anymore.”_

And Kylo was speechless.

The Supreme Leader could not believe what he was hearing.

Someone understood.

Somebody… finally… understood.

And of all people, it was Darth fucking Vader.

Kylo fell to his knees right then and there.

“I… I can’t…,” the words blubbered out. It all came out now: “I’m being ripped apart, Grandfather. There is a Darkness in me I have always pursued. Always known and wanted. But I can’t deny the fact any longer… that I miss my family. I regret killing Han… my Father. And I don't want to kill Chewy. Or Lando. Rey wants Ben, too. 

“But I can never be Ben again. I am Ren. I am _Ren_.”

 _“Yes, ‘You want what you want,’”_ answered Anakin Skywalker. “ _So then, Ren. What is it? What is it that you want?_ ”

And Kylo trembled on the floor. 

“I…” 

What could he say?

What could he say to the Great Darth Vader?

Anakin Skywalker?

His grandfather?

“I…,” his answer was barely intelligible. “I don’t know.” 

-

The Dark of Krys eyed her up and down.

The Dark of Rey looked at the last Jedi.

And the Light Master gazed upon Kylo.

And the Force souls spoke out:

_“This is who you are… Don’t be afraid of who you are.”_

And then they disappeared.

And the dreamers were left without any words.

And the Force left them all in incomprehensible quiet. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DREAM SEQUENCE!!!!!
> 
> Thank you for reading! Let’s connect!  
> Find me on tumblr as @KyloWithAZukoArc


	26. Chapter 26

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aftermath of nightmares. Comfort scenes. But who is talking to who?

Finally, Krys woke up like she wanted to. But it did nothing to relieve the fear. 

Her entire being shuddered.

 _What the hell was that?_ she quaked.

Every time she had the dream now, a new part revealed itself to her. She squirmed to think what she might see next. But if it was truly Palpatine, he had to be keeping her in suspense on purpose.

Though he hadn’t answered her. In the dream. The ghost told nothing of itself.

So… was it not him? Was it really the Force itself trying to tell her something?

_“This is who you are. Don’t be afraid of who you are.”_

What the fuck did that mean?

A million questions ran through her, until her morning alarm sounded.

“Fuck,” she cussed. She had to get ready for training.

And the very last thing she wanted to do right now was touch her sabers.

Which was a first.

She had to shake it off. Shove it down, because there was simply no figuring it out, and it was useless to keep turning it over and over. She needed to get her head back on her shoulders.

And she got an idea.

A notion how. 

But it was the most uncalled for thing imaginable. There was no way she would do that, especially at this hour.

But she checked the timekeeper again. Well. He _could_ be awake by now, too.

But she did not have a lot of time. If she wanted to do it, she had to go as soon as possible.

She deliberated for two seconds.

And then ran to shower.

-

Kylo had not even gotten off the floor. 

The complete shock of the entire event pounded against him, paralyzed him. When his alarm rang, he couldn’t even move to turn it off.

His Grandfather had always been with him…? And he said to embrace the Light?

Outrageous. Simply outlandish. Obviously, Kylo thought, he was going insane. The pressure of preparing for Palpatine and his personal issues were getting to him. It was obviously just burnout. That was all.

That was all.

And as always, a familiar urge struck him. 

And as always, he refused it.

And as always, he gave in.

The Supreme Leader numbly readied for his duties.

But first. He was going to see Rey.

-

Krys watched every corner to make sure she wouldn’t be seen. Luckily, call time was not for a while, and his room was relatively close to hers on the leadership level. Things were, at the moment, still quiet. She even extended her feelings to triple check no one was coming.

It would be fine.

Yep, totally fine.

So she walked up to the door, shaking profusely. 

And she knocked.

But there was no answer.

-

Kylo had left his room, now stalking the hallways like the brute force of nature he was. Even now, he tried to keep up appearances for anyone he might come across.

Reaching the maximum security prison on board, the guards greeted him with the appropriate respect, but also surprise. 

“Supreme Leader…!”

“Guards. I have received reports of unusual activity from the prisoner. Has she been giving you trouble?” he inquired, full authority.

“No, sir. The readouts indicated increased heart rate, but the droid diagnosed the cause as mere dream activity.”

“While under sedation? Unusual.”

“Yes, sir, unusual, sir. But no trouble. Otherwise, there is nothing to report.”

Kylo looked over to Rey as the guard spoke.

Even from here, he could tell how her matted hair clung to her face from sweat. 

Even under the needle, Kylo could feel the energy churning inside her. 

The last he saw her, she was in a nightmare’s hold. Was she still?

Stuck in an unending horror?

Shit.

He had come in hopes to… Well, he didn’t know what he was going to do when he got here. But getting the monumental urge to rush up and shake her from night terrors was not what he planned for.

Yet again, Rey continued to derail him.

-

There was no answer at the door.

Dare Krys knock again?

Clearly, this was her moment to back out while she still could. Save face. Not do something stupid. Look stupid. Especially while no one was still coming. She should go now. She should —

And then the door opened unto her.

And Hux appeared beyond it.

“Krys?” he whirled out, completely bewildered to see her. 

-

Kylo made up some bullshit in the meantime.

“I sense the Force, it swirls around inside her. She could be preparing for a Force attack... It would also explain the increased heart rate.”

The guards shifted in sudden dismay. “Oh…! While she’s… asleep? We had no idea that was possible.”

Kylo played it up, gravely nodding,

“Who knows what new tricks she may have accrued since she was last in our hold? Snoke’s killer is not to be trifled with. I best take a closer look.” 

The guards warily eyed each other, now wishing they had taken the indicators more seriously. The activity had been going on for hours, shit, they could have died!

“Step back,” commanded the Supreme Leader.

“Sir.” And they did as they were told. And Kylo passed through the gate.

-

Hux’s shirt was untucked, his hair half gelled, his face dabbled with stubble. The most unusual sight ever, Krys thought, as everyone knew how much pride Hux kept in his appearance. 

But similarly, she also showed unkempt in her demeanor. Though not in attire, but in her expression: it gave away a sorted state. And with her coming at the oddest of hours, the impropriety of it all, it made Hux fear the worst.

“Did the prisoner break loose?” he cut straight into action.

“No! Uh. It. Uh.”

“What happened? What’s the emergency?” he pushed into her.

“It’s. Uhm.” Krys had never felt more idiotic in all her days.

“What is it??” Hux demanded straight out.

Krys bit her lip.

“Can I pet your cat?”

-

Rey’s heart monitors continued to wail out. Kylo had not entirely lied: the Force in her aura did shake wildly about; it curled and waved and spiked and trembled. He recognized the same disturbances in himself. One that was reaching, grasping, needing an anchor, something, anything to hold onto.

It was the same as before in the hut.

When she had crawled out from the place of Darkness. He recalled her words from it:

 _“I’ve never felt so alone._ ”

Their last conversation had cemented their ending. She had turned away from him. But she was hurting again.

“ _You’re not alone,”_ he had told her. 

_“Neither are you,”_ she had replied _._

Was it still true?

-

Rey’s inner spirit was a tumultuous sea. After the Queen’s last words, the Jedi was left with nothing but uncertainty and a red expanse that spun around her.

No rationale or coherence remained in her now. The absurdity of it all reigned. Rey couldn’t think. Couldn’t comprehend. She was only aftershocks and confusion.

The only thing she had now were the same feelings from back on Jakku:

Of being completely alone in a world of nothingness.

Back in a place of pain and unanswered questions. Where suffering had no meaning nor an end in sight.

Her energy could have caved into itself.

When she felt a familiar warmth.

-

Hux's face was pure shock, then pure confusion, then pure worry for being heard. He quickly ducked out his head to look down the hallway. Confirmed: no one was around. In a fit of panic, he quickly pulled Krys through the threshold to be prevent being seen, and the door cut them off from the rest of the Order.

-

The Stormtroopers aimed their blasters towards the prisoner in apprehension. They watched as their Supreme Leader investigated the situation, extending his hand out to Snoke’s killer, examining her Force signature. Surely, Lord Ren could well determine what was occurring and fix it readily.

Indeed, that was exactly what Kylo aimed to do.

-

“You want to _what_??” Hux hissed against Krys. She didn’t have any real explanation. 

“Yeah… uh, can I pet Millicent?”

Hux balked.

“You come to my personal quarters at 0430 without any warning or reason, make me think some disaster as happened, interrupt my morning routine, all to _pet my cat_???”

Krys stared at him. That pretty much covered it.

She just nodded, unblinkingly.

Hux near face palmed, when Millicent mewed, walking up to greet them.

“Kittyyy,” Krys called, immediately lowering herself to the ground to them. At once, there came a wash of joy over her, and Hux already had a headache.

-

The cold of the abyss began its retreat as Rey felt a familiar presence at the tinges of her mind. It softly knocked at the doors of her heart. She didn’t even have to wonder who it was.

In that moment, there was no First Order, no Resistance. There was no Light Side telling her to let go and ascend, no Dark Side commanding her to hold to anger and raise hell. No disappointment or bittersweetness. There was only the soul she had prayed for every night since they departed ways… and he called her name.

 _“Rey,”_ she heard at the outermost parts of her being.

And without hesitation, she reached back.

-

“What’s _wrong with you_?” Hux sternly pried. He tacked on: “And _don’t_ tell me it’s because you couldn’t sleep.”

Krys’ hand twitched against the cat’s soft fur at his questioning. Which, of course, he was fully justified for asking.

She could near bleed out from it all. Quickly, she erected a dam in her mind against all the things she desperately wanted to say: that she had dreamt of killing the Supreme Leader, her Master, her _lover_. She’d done so almost everyday since she was a child. Now being told it was who she was meant to be. And there was more. So much more.

But every part of it would showcase her as a conspirator. Or give away improper details of her relationship with the Supreme Leader. Or make her seem crazy. Or a liar. 

And also… and Krys almost despised this the most… but she was just so. _Scared._

It ate her from the inside out. It had for months now. 

But she had to say _something._

Hux required it. He required it now. 

So she filtered it, boiled everything down. Her frustration with Kylo. The Jedi. Palpatine. Into something moderately acceptable:

“It’s just…,” she swallowed, “this ‘Rey in fighting condition’ thing. It’s just so… stupid.”

Hux took a second to process what he was hearing.

“You’ve come to complain about the Supreme Leader?”

Krys weakly smiled at him, latching onto the idea. “You said I could… ‘anytime’… right?”

He could only gaze at her in disbelief. Until something inside him broke. His shoulders rose as he emitted a small laugh.

“Why didn’t you say that in the first place?”

-

“ _Kylo…,”_ Rey returned to his mind. 

Thank God, Kylo thought. She received him. At that, he entirely surrounded her energy with his. It was the only way he could tell her. He had to let her know, even if it was just for this moment, that they were together, though he wasn’t entirely sure what was going to happen from there. Nor did he care. So long as he was with her, he was on the right path.

 _“I’m here,”_ he gave to her, _“Don’t worry. I’m here. Everything is going to be fine.”_

And slowly, but surely, the heart monitor returned to a normal pace.

-

Krys ranted, “It’s so fucking stupid. We’ve done everything to make sure the Jedi is properly subdued, yet he wants to bring her back to the top of her game, for Palpatine? So what does that mean? Is she to train with us? Eat our best food? Sleep on a real bed? She’s the biggest bounty - who in every other instance would be killed on the spot — and we’re going to _baby_ _her_? Are you _shitting me_?”

“It’s ridiculous!” Hux emphasized, having since joined her on the floor. Millicent sat in Krys’ lap, and he scratched the kitty on the rump as he added: “What an incredible risk. Bringing back Snoke’s killer to full power - what makes him think he can control her like that? No offense, Krys, I know you captured her and all-”

“None taken.”

“But she defeated him before in battle. _And_ the Praetorian Guard. _And_ Snoke all there. Does he want a repeat of that travesty?”

Krys had temporarily forgotten that version of the story, but nodded along vigorously. It only helped prove her point.

-

Slowly, slowly, slowly, the red dissipated amongst the dreamscape.

The storm calmed. 

Every bit of stress relaxed. 

Rey basked in this. There was no right or wrong now. There was just connection. Care. Softness. A salve to the soul.

Nothing else needed to be said as they held onto each other. 

And Rey’s spirit floated.  
  
-

Krys’ spirit resonated:

“Yeah, he keeps saying, ‘Oh, well she would never endanger her friends’ lives like that.’ Okay, Lord _Ren_. But all that means is she might try to break them free first, and how much damage would she ensue during all that?”

“Stupid. Unnecessary,” Hux switched, “I liked your idea better - deliver her in pieces to Palpatine. No arms to fight. No legs to run. Brutal. Hilarious.”

“Thank you. I thought it was too.”

And they laughed together, god help them, they laughed together. 

-

Kylo didn’t want to leave. But with the monitors back to normal, he could hardly justify staying. 

The Stormtroopers onlooking ogled, however. 

“Sir - that was incredible. You, you disabled her. Was she going to attack?”

Kylo lightly placed a hand on Rey’s shoulder then. Her Light still poured into him. 

He did his best to breathe. 

“She was calling an SOS… Sending a signal for help. I silenced it.”

And it wasn’t a lie. 

The guards clapped in amazement. 

-

Krys glanced at the timekeeper at the wall then.

It was 0503.

“SHIT,” she upstarted, “Fuck, I gotta go.”

“Oh. Damn, okay,” Hux reacted. She was already at the door, faster than he could have thought possible, Millicent now in his hold. 

But as Krys double checked that the coast was clear, she spoke one last bit to him:

“Thanks. By the way. For this.”

“Anytime,” he replied. 

“You mean it?”

And his eyes softened in jest. 

“Really. Anytime.”

She genuinely smiled at him then. And all the air went out his lungs.

-

Kylo stepped back from the Jedi. Though her spirit was stilled, it still hurt to see her like this. Restrained, bandaged, in desperate need of a shower. She deserved fine linens and to be paraded in the streets as a Queen, he thought. This couldn’t do. 

But it had to. It would have to do for now.

-

Krys made her exit, feeling much better than she had come. 

And she ran. She sprinted to the private dojo. It would still be on the same floor as the leadership, same as the sim room, but she already was late. And she was never late for training. Not to mention, she was still technically in deep shit. She prayed this misstep wouldn’t make him judge her now instead of later. 

But there was no one in the dojo. 

She immediately checked the messages, but there were none from her Master.

By some fucking miracle, Kylo was late too this morning. She had skated by under the wire.

Which begged the question. 

Where the fuck was _he_ then?

And as if on cue, her Master walked through the door. She quickly cut on her sabers like she'd been warming up the whole time. 

“Master,” she greeted. 

His face was distant. He barely grunted in reply.

She teased, disguising relief:

“Did the Supreme Leader oversleep?”

And he glared at her in annoyance. 

When the emergency alarm signaled. At once, lightning went up and down their spines. The last time they heard the drill, they had gotten a threat from…

“Patch it through,” Kylo ordered through the speaker. The intercom connected:

“Sir… we have received another message from the Final Order…”

Everything inside them both went cold. “Yes?”

“They say they know we have the Jedi… and to bring her at once.”

And all the comfort they managed to scrape up that morning died in their palms.  
  


  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> They just can’t catch a break y’all. But Millicent tho. 
> 
> Thank you for reading!  
> Let’s connect! Send me a message on tumblr, find me as @KyloWithAZukoArc!


	27. Chapter 27

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The First Order scrambles to face Palpatine. Rey and Krys have a little talk.

The First Order was anything but in order. Plans half executed now had no choice but to proceed as is. Their armies stood only partially amassed to the extent they wanted, and rough strategies of attack remained unpolished. But the worst part of it all was that everyone knew - everyone knew full well how fucked they were. Which, of course, did nothing for morale.

Once again there had come the nervous whispers amongst the Stormtroopers. Finn called out to TE among them, fearing more inquisition nonsense:

“Did they take someone else?”

And this time around, no one batted an eye to TE filling him in.

“It’s worse than that… Palpatine called again.”

“What??”

“He threatens to send his Star Destroyers out if we don’t bring him the Jedi at once.”

“He has Star Destroyers?”

“Yeah, a whole fleet. And they can blow up _planets_.”

“WHAT?”

“We know. It’s ridiculous. But that’s what we’re dealing with.”

“Fuck... Okay… Well… What are you gonna do?”

“Who the fuck knows? Anything could happen. But if worse comes to worse, we’re woefully under prepared,” admitted TE to FN. “If it turns into a straight fight between our armies, we’re done for.”

And yet again, Finn’s first thought was for Poe. They could die here if they stayed.

They needed to leave. Now.

Before all hell broke loose.

But how?

Finn looked at TE.

He looked at the mass of worried soldiers.

And he felt in them the same notion that Maz had seen in him years ago:

He was looking at men who wanted to run.

The same dread sunk into every cranny and corner of the First Order. The higher ups did their best to mitigate the fear, railing propaganda at every turn. General Armitage Hux continued his role as the face of leadership. Taking a stand, he addressed the Order like on Starkiller Base, this time speaking over holograms that displayed in every room. Krys listened as she followed Kylo Ren down the ship’s hallways:

“MY FELLOW BELIEVERS!” Hux announced for all to hear, “Stormtroopers, supporters, leaders, CONQUERORS! Today a powerful enemy beckons us. An enemy who, for all intents and purposes, fathered us. We are sired from the Empire, his work, his creation. He offers us a trade, promising to bolster our armies with his, but how are we to trust him? If he has returned, then why has he not come back for us?”

The Stormtroopers on every ship and facility, down to the cell blocks, listened on:

“I will tell you why! Because the Great Emperor is a COWARD!” Hux beat down his fist. “HIS failures led to the downfall of the Empire! HIS mistakes brought him down low! But yet here we remain, STRONGER THAN EVER! WE raised ourselves back from the ashes! WE are the ones who kept going! While he HID in the shadows, licking his wounds, WE PREVAILED! WE destroyed the New Republic, WE crushed the Resistance to a pulp, and WE now hold a greater hold on the galaxy than he EVER DID!”

Every coder and worker and tracker in the control rooms held onto their General’s words for dear life.

“And _Palpatine_?? HE is ashamed, embarrassed! Like a failure who wants to forget, he wishes to wash the slate clean. BUT WE WILL NOT LET HIM! We will show _the Great Emperor_ that we will not make the same mistakes he did. We have what he truly wants, so we hold all the cards! Soon, this coward will be brought down, and again there will be no question as to who truly deserves the galaxy. Once more, we shall PREVAIL!

“ALL HAIL THE FIRST ORDER!” he finished.

“ALL HAIL THE FIRST ORDER,” came the response from every soldier.

“All hail the First Order,” Krys repeated in a whisper, appreciating the General’s conviction. Kylo did not react. The transmission cut off.

And Hux ran to the bathroom to puke his guts out.

Hux, of all people, knew the score. With the Supreme Leader and the Apprentice running the ground, he took the role again of Acting Commander. Kylo and Krys would be their first line of defense, but if they failed, it would be up to Hux to orchestrate the fall back. And he knew that just one well placed shot from a Final Order Star Destroyer could nigh take them all out. They needed to stay decentralized in their approach to avoid this, but doing so also diminished their brute strength… 

A funny thought hit him then. Was this how the The Resistance felt all the time?

Completely overwhelmed against tremendous odds?

Like there was no hope?

He wiped his face then, the irony mocking him. 

Fine, he thought. Fine.

If the puny, pathetic Resistance held the audacity to continuously fight against the massive regime that was the First Order, then the First Order could do the same against the Final Order. Even more so. Because THEY would be victorious. 

They would be.

They _had_ to be.

He puked again.

-

A horrid laughter bounced against the walls of Rey’s mind. The oasis of peace she had claimed with Kylo started to crumble. Yet once more the red started to overcome her; it started from what felt like her toes, rising to her core, pooling to her neck, then her eyes, and looking up, there she saw the Dark Throne. Palpatine sat on it, lording over all, his maniacal utterances filling her brain. But as the red covered her vision, looking closer, instead she found the Dark of herself in his place. The Queen continued his rolling, meeting her gaze.

And Rey drowned.

The Jedi awoke with a terrible fright. A Force went out from her then, and stitching droids flew from her torso. Completely drenched in sweat, Rey panted out, slowly realizing the long scar which clawed down her chest.

It was totally healed.

She saw the med droid beside her with a retracted injector.

And beyond it, looking up, there Kylo was again. This time, in the flesh.

The cracks of his helmet were in full view. His eyes, not. And just behind him, his Apprentice stood, hateful as ever.

“Rey,” Kylo addressed her. The residue of nightmarish panic still bat in her. So too did every bone in her body ache, having been tied to the table for… god who knows how long. For a moment, she had no idea what was happening.

And then he spoke:

“It’s time.”

And immediately, it all came crashing back.

-

Facing Palpatine had to happen one way or the other. But despite every grievance that could ever exist in working with the First Order, Rey cooperated. She had to. But she did so in the most begrudging way possible.

“You expect me to fight? I can barely _move_.” Every word Rey spoke was laced with acid as she hung her legs over the bed. Her feet felt entirely numb. The med droid insisted that First Order care had prevented 90% of muscle atrophy during her stay there, but with how she was feeling, it was hard to believe.

“Don’t worry. All you have to do is stand there and look pretty.” Krys’ tongue spewed condescension everywhere. “Leave it to those who’ve had _actual_ training.”

Rey bristled. “I’ve been _trained_. I was trained by Luke Skywalker himself, and his sister after.”

“Oh that’s right. And that was what - a few days with him? And then Leia, who quit her Jedi training early? Sure, you’re totally trained.”

“You know I beat your _Master_ the first time I held a lightsaber, right?”

Kylo could already tear his bloody hair out, “ _Enough._ Both of you. I’ll have no more of this.” He pointed his finger. “We have to work together now to defeat Palpatine.”

And both girls rolled their eyes so hard they could have gone blind.

“Fine,” Rey remitted, “How long do we have until we face him?”

“… Tomorrow.”

“TOMORROW?”

“Our schedule got… tightened,” Kylo explained, “So we are in hyperspace now on our way to Exegol.”

“Jesus. Fine. Okay,” Rey spoke. “Well hopefully by then I CAN WALK.”

Krys snickered. And Kylo silenced her with a look. 

Proceeding from here proved… tricky. Kylo knew Rey could still very well call upon the Force still to break free, so they had her wrists in binders. But to be careful, they could not leave her alone with Stormtrooper guards. He had since learned that lesson from the last time they captured her. Which meant either Kylo or Krys, or both, had to be watching her at all times.

And Kylo would never again leave Krys alone with Rey.

And like hell Krys was going to leave Kylo alone with Rey either.

So it was a standoff. The three of remained about the cell. And would for the whole night.

Not one of them was thrilled about it.

“Finn… Chewy…, ” Rey brought up. “Is everyone still alive?”

“They’re all fine,” Kylo replied.

“Give me proof,” Rey insisted.

Krys’ disgust cut in: “Oh believe me. They’re doing just _fine_.”

And the disdain in Krys made Rey believe they were telling the truth.

The Apprentice leaned against the wall, arms folded. Rey massaged the feeling back into her hands on the bed. And Kylo just paced.

The tension and weight of awkward silence entrenched them all.

“What’s the plan again?” Rey asked, breaking it. A service droid had since brought her actual food to eat. She stared down to the tray. A part of her wanted to devour the meal. Another part of her could barely stand to look at it, her stomach still queasy from the sedation. Kylo informed:

“When we visited him last, Palpatine was attached to a machine that had to be his life support system. It must be the key to what is sustaining him, helping powering his extraordinary abilities… and tying him to Exegol.”

“You distract him,” Krys inputted to Rey, “Play along with whatever it is he wants to hear. Meanwhile, I’ll throw my sabers to cut off his power supply.”

“He goes down,” Kylo finalized, “Then we take his army and ships. Done.”

“And if I don’t want you to take his army and ships?” Rey posed.

“Then too bad,” Krys shot down.

Rey digested the plan. Starkiller Base had been enough of a hard hitter. Imagining what the First Order could do with _hundreds_ more to that capacity… which could also run around the galaxy wherever they wanted?

Freedom would never again return. It would be over.

Would there be a way Rey could still destroy Palpatine and _not_ let the First Order take everything for themselves?

Could she do so _alone_ on the planet?

She thought, struggling to lift her fork with tingling fingers.

Jesus.

Jesus fuck. 

Everything was so _fucked._

The med droids gave Rey accelerated therapy next, lightly shocking her back and arms and legs with pads to artificially stimulate her muscles. It was certainly not the ideal scenario Kylo had wanted, originally hoping she could fight Palpatine at peak performance if the altercation turned physical. Neither was it what Krys wanted either, as now they were practically babysitting the Jedi. It made Krys sick.

A sinking instinct told Krys that this was a weak excuse from Kylo to spend more time with the Jedi. 

But Krys needed to ignore it.

Keep focused on the coming mission.

She had no choice but to trust her Master.

And she did.

She really did.

So she pinned it back, keeping a stern face and her thoughts to herself. They all silenced their energy, in fact, none wanting to give away their true feelings. Kylo and Krys merely observed as Rey stiffly rose to her feet after the treatment, the med droid attending to her.

“Both of you really need to be here for this?” Rey criticized, struggling to stand erect. “What do you expect me to pull here? Lightning from my fingers?”

But neither Master nor Apprentice budged. For many reasons.

“Whatever,” Rey threw out, now attempting to put one foot in front of the other.

A sadistic satisfaction entered Krys then. Satisfaction she had brought down the Jedi to this lowly state. But in peering over to Kylo, she noticed his helmet never swayed from the Jedi.

Was he anticipating her to pull a fast one?

Did he pity her?

Worry for her?

Krys clenched her teeth and sighed. 

It was going to be a long night.

-

By the end of the evening, Rey could stand by herself and _almost_ jog. It appeared that that would be the best they were going to get after everything. The Sith filled her in on the rest of the details for the coming day and readied to settle in. The whole day had been a frustrating affair. 

But tomorrow they might die.

There were a million things Kylo wanted to say. That Krys wanted to say. That Rey wanted to say. 

But not to the whole room.

“Get some sleep,” Kylo told the Jedi. 

“Not another Force hold,” she dreaded.

He shot air through his nose, a smirk hiding under his mask. “No. Actual sleep.”

Krys volunteered to Kylo:

“I’ll take the first shift.”

He eyed his Apprentice down.

“We’re staying here for the night,” he affirmed.

“I know. No need for us both stay up the whole time.”

Rey adjusted her pillows, her muscles screaming. Honestly, she tuned them all out entirely, done with their shit.

Kylo thought about it. The sooner he slept, perhaps the sooner he might get the chance to talk to Rey again. In dreams.

“When she’s out,” he determined.

Krys nodded.

But Rey endlessly tossed and turned from the constant hurt in her bones. Yet she also refused the droid’s offer of painkillers, having had enough medication to last her lifetimes. Unable to sleep, she lasted awake longer than Kylo.

Within hours, they heard his light snoring against the wall.

Rey stared. Kylo… snored?

Krys leaned against the prison barrier too, arms still folded over.

She shouldn’t engage with the Jedi. She couldn’t. 

And yet.

“… You really beat Kylo in a dual?” came out her mouth.

The suddenness of the question surprised Rey.

“What?”

“I _said_. You really beat Kylo in a dual?”

The snow and forest of Starkiller Base flashed in Rey’s mind again. She let no emotion into her voice:

“How do you think he got that scar?”

Krys’ nails could have drawn blood in her palms from that. More things Kylo never told her. Why didn’t he ever tell her anything?

“Granted…,” Rey added on, “He was injured. Chewy had shot him.”

“‘Chewy’?”

“Chewbacca. The Wookiee.”

“Ah.”

“Yeah… and Kylo had just...” She saw Han’s body falling again. “… No. Nothing.”

A beat passed.

“Was it here?” Krys motioned to her own side. “The Wookiee shot him here?”

“Oh. Yeah…,” Rey admitted. Kylo must still have a scar from that too. But why would Krys know where it was? Had she seen…

Nope. Nope. She didn’t want to think about it.

“You know he has another big scar now, too,” Krys laid out.

“Where?”

“On his chest. From lightning.”

“Lightning??”

“Yeah. From… Palpatine…”

The weight of it all bared back down upon them once more. They didn’t need anymore of that right now.

And out of nowhere, Rey had to snicker.

“What’s so funny?” Krys cut.

Rey tried to hold it in, but couldn’t.

“His chest. Isn’t it ridiculous?”

And Krys just eyed her for a moment.

Before they both relinquished to chuckles.

“It is. It is,” Krys snorted.

“Shh, shh, he’ll wake up,” Rey pushed.

“Nah. He’s a heavy sleeper.”

The implications hit Rey horrendously. She could have spit fire. 

But instead she changed the subject.

She needed to know.

“So, what’s your story?” Rey asked.

Krys froze.

“What’s it to you?” her ice came back full throttle.

Rey… Rey opened up:

“Well. I come from nothing. That’s my story.”

“You’re a desert rat.”

“ _Scavenger_ ,” Rey bit. “Or was one…” She reiterated: “But you?”

Krys picked her words carefully. 

“The Dark called me. I followed it. And here I am.” She waved her hands. “That’s all there is to it.”

Kylo turned over then. Both girls stilled, unsure if he had roused. But it was only in his sleep.

Catching her breath, Krys went for it. She knew she would never get this chance again. She asked Rey the question that burned her soul:

“Do you love him?”

 _The same way he loves you,_ Krys thought. 

Rey upstarted.

Krys had kept her voice even, her body language still. But it didn’t matter. Rey could still tell the desperation in the Sith before her.

Rey thought how to answer. How was the best way she could summarize it? That she thought about Kylo every day? That all she wanted was to wrap him in her arms and never let go? To bring him home? Bear his children?

But that that it still wasn’t enough?

She chose to say:

“He will disappoint you.”

The words hung in the air.

They were a knife in Krys’ chest. It was like Rey had seen her visions too. 

Even still. Krys clenched her fist in refusal.

“No. The Supreme Leader is wise. He is… faithful,” Krys recounted.

Rey shook her head.

“He’ll ruin your life. Like he did mine.”

Krys gazed at her. The stories that lied behind her statements. Krys said to the Jedi:

“You love him with every fiber of your being.”

And Rey did not deny it.

A tightness pulled inside Krys’ chest from the silence.

And all niceties disappeared from the Sith then.

“When this is all over, Rey. You better be ready to fight me. Because I won’t hold back.”

“When it’s all over…,” Rey mused, “Sure… Let’s get there first.”

And they said nothing else to each other for the rest of the night. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ramping up ramping up ramping up!!!
> 
> Thank you for reading!! Let’s connect!  
> Message me on @KyloWithAZukoArc


	28. Chapter 28

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The last interactions of the night before they arrive to Exegol... before they face Palpatine.

Krys’ mind fired on all cylinders as the Jedi wrestled to sleep.

They were walking into the jaws of death tomorrow. But the only thing Krys could think of was:

What _else_ was Kylo not telling her?

He’d neglected to inform her about his Resistance ties; it had been pulling teeth for him to even tell her about Rey; and there were all manner of little things that kept cropping up that the Jedi knew… and Krys didn’t.

It was fucking infuriating.

Finally, _finally_ , the Jedi had fallen to sleep’s grasp. Far too late into the night. Which only added to the stupidity. Now instead of two fully rested Sith and a throwaway Jedi, they had a Jedi at quarter-speed and exhausted Sith fighters. This, to go against the greatest enemy that they had ever faced?

Stupid.

A part of Krys almost wanted to leave right then and there to go rant with Hux.

But she didn’t, of course. For many reasons. Aside from the most obvious that she was to guard Rey, another was that she knew Hux was knee deep in preparations.

Indeed, Hux was not sleeping that night.

There was so much left to do. So much to organize. The anxiety was thick among the crew, among leadership. All the possibilities were reviewed and adjusted for. The leaderboard prepared for each of them. 

One where Palpatine kept his promise, giving them his armies, and he fucked off. In this, Kylo remained Supreme Leader, but with a new army and capabilities the likes the galaxy had never seen. Yet there remained the likelihood that Palpatine might rear his ugly head again in the future…

A decent outcome.

Then there was the version where their plan worked: They eliminated Palpatine, never for him to rise again. Kylo again remained Supreme Leader (with a new army and capabilities the likes the galaxy had never seen), and they secured the galaxy for good.

A great outcome.

Or. 

One where Palpatine turned on them all. Obliterated every last one of them. Took over the galaxy in their stead. The Final Order reigning forever.

Worst case outcome.

But also…

And this excited Hux.

There was a chance, however small, that as of tomorrow, he would become the Supreme Leader.

If Kylo and Krys died on the battlefield - and Hux managed to secure Palpatine’s firepower - then he would become the leader of the First Order - with that incredible army and power to secure the galaxy. 

And he ached for it.

His entire life, Hux had clawed his way to the top. Ruthless in destroying the competition, endlessly hungry for the next level up. He was the highest General in the First Order now. And also the youngest _ever_ in the history of the Empire _and_ the First Order to hold that position.

The rabid cur was extremely proud of that fact.

But a small inkling at the back of his mind strangely pulled him.

A little tug told him that, though it was required for his advancement, for some reason, he didn’t want the Apprentice to die.

He didn’t _hope_ for her death at least. 

Would he be fine if she died?

Sure. 

But he wouldn’t prefer it. 

Surely, it was only because she was such a valuable asset to have aboard. It’d be a waste for her to pass away.

That was all.

But no matter, he thought. It was only but one of a million possibilities. And a million more prattled through.

But throughout it all, an undercurrent kept ticking in his mind. A half-wish that the Apprentice would just appear and interrupt his work. Disturb everything. 

“ _Anytime_ ,” he had said. 

For her to stop him in the middle of the chaos, make some excuse for them to slip away. Impetuously. Inconveniently. Ridiculously.

Needing him.

But there was so much left to do.

But he took a moment regardless. And fired up a holo recorder. 

-

Kylo now stood guard, Krys having awoken him. She in turn submitted to get what meager hours she could under her belt. 

Meanwhile, Kylo racked his brain for any dreams he’d had. Did the Force Connection catch on during his nap?

No. No, it hadn’t.

He sighed.

When Krys addressed him, nervous as shit:

“Master.”

“Yes?” he quietly answered.

“… If the Force Connection came back, you would tell me, right?”

And he felt caught dead in his boots. 

“Why do you ask that?”

Krys fidgeted a saber. “If you’re having secret conversations with the enemy… I should know.”

Kylo’s fire spiked inside him. Had Rey told her?

“Have _you_ been having secret conversations with the enemy?”

And Krys’ stomach jumped into her throat.

“No,” she immediately lied.

“Well neither have I.”

And the air stood fucking still.

Somehow they were both tense and relieved at the same time. 

But Krys shook. Her desperation frayed. Frayed. Frayed.

“Master,” she repeated.

“What?” he replied, irritated.

He felt so far away then.

It stung so much.

Frayed, frayed, frayed.

“You’ve been inside my head,” Krys’ voice shook, “You know everything there is to know. But with everything happening tomorrow… I just… I realized… I’ve never really said it. That. I’ve never said…”

Kylo’s breath hitched. Slowly catching where this was going.

And a crash of guilt washed over him. A piece of Light struck him. 

What was he doing?

“You know I’d… I’d do anything for you,” Krys struggled out, “Not just because I’m your Apprentice. It’s because… well… you know… I… I.”

Krys stuttered. She just couldn’t manage to get the words out.

She’d never said anything like this in her entire life.

How was it so fucking hard?

Kylo closed his eyes. And recentered himself.

When this was all over, Rey would be gone. 

One way or the other, she would be gone.

Whether she left. Or he had no choice but to go through with the bounty consequences.

She’d be gone forever.

Even if they both cared for each other, it was never going to work. In no universe was it going to work.

And yet he still kept going forward like there was a chance.

In seeing his Apprentice like this, he felt sick.

He said he wouldn’t betray her. Repeatedly. But he had been going behind her back. Lying to her. Acting like a fool.

But she bled for him.

They could have an incredible life together.

If he just got his head on right.

And here she was, trying to tell him. She had always been trying to tell him.

“I know,” Kylo said at last. Just like his father had so many years ago. “I know.”

She didn’t have to say anything.

He extended his hand.

Krys could have cried, but she didn’t.

She reached for him, and he sat back down for her to come up close. At that, she completely wrapped her arms around him.

It only took the end of everything to get to this point. 

For that moment, Krys thought, if they all died tomorrow, she didn’t care.

She didn’t care one bit.

At that second, Kylo was hers.

He was really hers.

And he held her back, whispering into her ear.

“Rest up, Krys. Everything is going to be fine.”

And gave her a squeeze.

All tension that racked her being disappeared in that moment.

And on the spot, Krys fell asleep on her Master’s chest.

-

Only a few hours before the reckoning now. Every pilot, dispatcher, soldier, and all the rest scrambled to get everything in place. If only they had more time.

But other certain night workers only had their prisoners to look after. Amidst the overpowering eminence that was Palpatine, a skeleton crew of Stormtroopers in the cell block aired their grievances with each other. They were so open about it right now that Finn had a front row seat.

“I don’t care what Hux says,” complained one of the troopers, “It’s a suicide mission.”

“Okay, but if we _didn’t_ go?” TE kicked back. “Then we’d _definitely_ die. In going… we just _might_ live. It could work out.”

Finn sniffed an opportunity then.

He had to chime in.

“ _Or,_ ” Finn called out.

TE and the gang turned to him.

“‘Or’?” TE replied.

Finn’s eyebrow wiggled.

“I think you know what I am going to say.”

A moment of registration entered the room.

"Do you WANT to get punched again?!” riled one from the group.

“Listennnn,” Finn argued. “I’m just saying, if things pop off, it’s always good to have a backup plan, am I right?”

“… I oughtta cave in your face,” came the push back.

TE sighed, “Besides. We’d need a pilot anyway…”

“TE!” yelled one of the others. “Don’t tell me _you’ve_ entertained this.”

“What, it’s _true_ ,” TE argued. “And all the pilots here are stuck up, snitching, cock-sucking _pricks_. They’d be no help.”

“I know a pilot,” Finn offered.

He held everyone’s attention then.

“I know the best pilot in the galaxy,” he filled. 

And, surprisingly, there came a moment of consideration.

“Just out of curiosity,” TE let out, “How exactly… would you do it?”

And Finn grinned and grinned.

-

Kylo checked the time. Only three more hours until they would be exiting hyperspace, reaching their goal point on the outskirts of the sector that housed Exegol. 

He took the time to meditate. He needed to focus now. Letting his mind wander would not help anything at the moment. He needed to tune into the Force. Keep his mind in the game. 

To bring Palpatine down. 

So he quieted his mind, bringing everything into clarity. Expecting quiet. 

But what he got was -

_Fucking asshole._

He’d heard the notion right in his brain. A thought not his own.

 _What?_ he thought. There was only one presence he knew that could speak into his mind like that, in voices that did not belong to him. _Palpatine??_ he addressed back in his mind. Though it seemed rather uncharacteristic for Palpatine to talk like that. 

He sensed surprise then. Again, it did not belong to him. 

_Kylo_? came the return into his mind. 

It was unmistakable now.

That tone. That cadence. 

That _frustration_ towards him. 

_Rey?_ his heart skipped a beat.

Jesus Christ. 

He looked up to where she slept now. 

And her eyes met his, wide with surprise. 

“You…,” Kylo said aloud this time. 

But as he spoke, his Apprentice slightly roused in his arms, disturbed.

Oh.

Shit. 

Right. 

Rey stared him down, her shock returning to red hatred.

 _Fucking asshole_ , he heard again. 

_Now hold on_ , he thought. _Back up for a second. You’re hearing me? You’re hearing my thoughts now? You’re awake?_

 _YES I AM FUCKING AWAKE,_ she railed into him, _LITTLE HARD TO STAY ASLEEP WHEN EVERYTHING FUCKING HURTS._

 _Okay, okay, calm down_ , he returned. 

_I AM CALM._

_FUCKING- STOP,_ he yelled back in his mind. _Look, just. Okay. Give me a second._

And he lightly jostled his Apprentice.

“Hey. Krys. Krys,” he cooed to her. 

“Hmm..?” his Apprentice blearily replied. 

“Go get ready. Get food, a shower, whatever you need. I need you at full capacity for the day.”

Krys took a moment, remembering everything. 

“Rey’s still asleep?” she groaned out. 

“……. Yes,” he lied. Again. 

He really needed to stop doing that. 

But just one more time.

“Alright...,” she complied. “Thanks.”

Krys gave him a little squeeze first then, and a kiss on the helmet, before getting up.

At those actions, Kylo felt a radiating heat in his skull. He had no question where it was coming from. Even with Rey’s eyes closed, pretending to sleep, it was absolutely her.

Fucking A, he thought to himself. Why was this happening. Why now. 

Fucking _why_.

-

Krys yawned, her mind in a total fog. She half consciously trailed off for breakfast and some morning practice. 

In coming into her room though, she found a message notification waiting for her. Seeing the sender’s name, she was suddenly feeling very awake. 

It was from Hux. 

She checked it readily.

A little blue hologram of him showed itself then. 

“Krys. Be safe,” it said to her, “Millicent says to come back in one piece.”

And she smiled sadly.

“I will,” she taped back, “Stay safe yourself. Both of you.”

And when she’d returned from a shower, she found his reply:

“We will. What is it that they say? ‘May the Force with with you.’”

She laughed. 

“May the Force be with you,” she sent. 

She felt so light then. And breathing in, Krys took that energy with her to the dojo.

-

When Kylo and Rey were legitimately alone, the Jedi unleashed herself:

“ _GOD._ I know you’ve moved on, Kylo, but Jesus, you don’t have to rub it in my face. You really are the biggest asshole, _I swear to God.”_

“Fuck, _I’m sorry_ , okay? But can we first talk about why I could hear you in my HEAD?”

“Fucking _asshole_.”

“Okay. Fair. Very Fair. You win. I’m the biggest asshole there is.”

“YOU ARE.”

“But you could hear me in your mind too??”

And Rey caught herself. She face palmed. 

“The goddamn Force Connection… again.”

“It keeps getting stronger…,” he observed. 

“God… goddammit,” she cussed. “We really need to figure this out. And cut it off.”

Kylo would never admit it. But that hurt him to the core.

“Right,” he agreed, despite himself. “It isn’t… It’s not… helpful,” his words died.

Rey reevaluated everything there. 

If the Connection kept increasing in strength, Kylo could use it to spy on her. And the Resistance. 

It would mean she couldn’t… shouldn’t go back to them. 

Fuck. Fuck. _Fuck_.

“I wouldn’t spy on you,” Kylo said aloud. 

FUCK. 

“YOU JUST FUCKING DID.”

“NO WAIT. SHIT. IT WASN’T ON PURPOSE.”

“GODDAMNIT KYLO. Why can't you just _leave me alone._ ”

“I LITERALLY FUCKING CAN’T.”

“GAHHHHH.”

And they were only yelling at each other now.

And the med droid could only awkwardly look on from the corner. 

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I literally cackled writing the last part. 
> 
> So updates are unfortunately going to be slower now as the story increases in complexity and as my job in real life kicks my but. Should still be weekly at the least if I can help it!!
> 
> Thanks so much for reading. Let’s connect! Find me @KyloWithAZukoArc. Love to chat!


	29. Chapter 29

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Supreme Leader, the Apprentice, and the Jedi confront Palpatine. Will their plan work? What does Palpatine know? And what tricks does he have in store as well?

They had arrived. 

The inertia from exiting hyperspace hit everyone.

The hour had come.

As the main ship entered the outskirts of Exegol’s system, a thousand more appeared with it. But would it be enough?

Kylo manned a Fighter with a cockpit large enough to house them all - his Apprentice and the Jedi buckled into their own seats. They equipped their sabers, fearing the worst. 

Though their starting point was well beyond the planet’s atmosphere, even from there, they could feel the sheer power waving off the Sith homeworld.

This was it.

After this, no matter what happened, nothing would be the same again.

As Kylo initiated the start up sequence for his ship, the Apprentice and Jedi sat with their thoughts.

Krys mused, fiddling with one of her hilts, an unconscious tick at this point. The plan ultimately boiled down to her cutting off Palpatine’s power supply when he wasn’t expecting it. Could she pull it off?

What if he knew it was coming?

The worry nigh gripped her.

But she recalled her teachings. She harnessed the uncertainty. Channeled the stress to anger, focusing deeply.

The Jedi thought through her own measures. If they destroyed Palpatine, the only way she could stop the First Order from taking the massive fleet… might be to hold Kylo and Krys hostage.

Threaten to kill them.

But would she be strong enough to incapacitate them both?

And - even if Kylo was a lost cause - would she have the will to go through with it, if it came down to it?

If it meant the universe would never be free again. Could she…

 _You still want to kill me?_ ran a message in her head. So they were back to enemies again. She bristled from it.

_If you keep sneaking around in my head, I just might._

A humorless chuckle wafted off Kylo. He began the nav sync with the Sith Wayfinder as he relayed:

_Remember. Threaten me, you threaten your friends. It’s just fact... The First Order will not hesitate._

Rey bit her cheek. _Seems we are all pretty dead anyway._

When a snap of realization hit her.

But as she realized it, Kylo shared in.

And immediately he spun to subdue her.

The abruptness of the transaction snapped Krys out of her thoughts, surprising her at first. But at once she followed her Master’s lead, turning on the Jedi. In but a second, they Force bound Rey to her seat.

The Jedi sat paralyzed, attempting to resist, but in a match of two against one, she could not move.

“Don’t do it, Rey,” Kylo implored.

“What? What happened?” Krys demanded.

Rey wrestled in the Force against them, but still there was no change.

Kylo informed: “She thinks, ‘No me. No army.’ She was going to threaten herself with a saber. Then we couldn’t bring her to Palpatine… we wouldn’t get the fleet…”

The struggle continued.

When Krys said,

“How did you know she was thinking that?”

And Kylo lost his concentration.

At the drop, Rey’s hand freed just enough to grasp a saber and pull it to her neck, but Krys deflected it at once with hers. At that, Kylo was back in play, and he arrested Rey’s wrists to bind them. 

Master and Apprentice placed the Jedi in cuffs and removed her sabers. Keeping Rey Forced to the seat, Krys reiterated, panting,

“How… did you know…”

And Kylo’s mind raced. He was caught. What should he say?

“Just now. It snapped back, the Force Connection.”

Krys studied her Master. Though she dare not… _question_ … him… she sensed things she did not want to.

“Just now?” she repeated.

“Just now,” he said.

Krys looked deeply though his visor.

Rey watched the interaction and calculated quickly. Thinking fast, she shot to Kylo,

_Swear to not take the fleet, or I tell her the truth._

Kylo’s Force hold on her tightened. _You fucking wouldn’t._

_I fucking would._

He grit his teeth underneath the mask. 

Krys was his Apprentice. She would do what he said, no matter how she felt. However, revealing his lies right before a big fight would do nothing for their teamwork.

Rey laid out,

_We defeat Palpatine. Destroy his ships. You free us. We all go our separate ways, live to fight another day. Or I tell her._

Kylo felt strangled. This was ridiculous. One girl’s happiness over the galaxy? It should be a non-issue.

But to keep everyone working together, he had to agree to it, for now. 

He mentally sighed as Rey inwardly smirked. She spoke to Krys, 

“It’s true. It just happened.”

Krys’ eyeline beelined to the Jedi. 

Rey filled in: “It must be because we are so close to Exegol… Snoke, after all, connected us before... It could be Palpatine’s doing.”

And Krys bit her lip so hard it bled.

So the Connection was back. 

Her Master was tied with the Jedi again.

Krys very well could have destroyed the Jedi right then and there, when a hologram of Hux cut on:

“Supreme Leader. Are you ready for departure?” 

Krys growled at the Acting Commander then. But then the navigational system pinged in locating their destination, too. 

Another growl.

But there was no time for this. 

Krys had to cut it off. Stab it down. Pin it back.

So the Apprentice shook her head from it all. She spoke to Rey, 

“Try that again, and I’ll break your sabers. See how you like it.” 

“It isn’t fun, is it,” Rey dryly replied, side-eyeing Kylo.

Krys almost asked what that meant, but she really did not care. Instead, she just took her seat again, angrily relenting.

The Supreme Leader’s shoulder’s remotely relaxed from that. And looking over to Rey, he saw her also satisfied. His party re-centered, the Supreme Leader replied to Hux,

“Ready.”

-

The trio made their approach in dead silence. At first from their own animosity, but then from the overwhelming presence of Exegol. The tremors in the Force only grew heavier as they neared the the barrier.

Yet as they came closer, there was no opening.

No reception.

“Palpatine better let us in,” Krys spritzed, pissed as shit, “We’re here with what he wants. Our armies are stationed so far away, they pose no threat. If he makes us go through the barrier again…”

“Just wait,” Rey offered, “If he wants me so bad, then he should welcome us with open arms.”

And so they waited. 

In doing so, Kylo laid out:

“Remember. He will try to mess with you. Get in your head. Shake us up. Don’t give him an inch.”

Krys affirmed, “ _Never._ ”

And the mouth of the beast widened.

Greeting them was the fleet itself. They lined an aerial pathway leading them straight to their port. There were dozens upon dozens. _Hundreds._

Rey’s jaw positively dropped.

Hearing about such an army was one thing. But to see it in person? Lining all the way down to the ground?

It was the most terrifying thing she had ever seen.

And the same ice froze down the spines of Kylo and Krys. 

There was nothing to say or do but follow the party down.

And so they did.

Even their landing was plotted out. Palpatine’s acolytes created a pad for them, likewise leading a walkway towards the monolith. It was a welcoming committee fit for a Queen.

It only made the Force users all the more nervous.

This was a celebration. Palpatine was so confident in his plan that he turned their coming into a _spectacle_?

They could hear cheers, fucking _cheers_ , from a huge crowd in the distance. Springing from underground.

The Supreme Leader led the way with Rey following; the Apprentice held a live saber to the Jedi’s back, keeping her in line. As much as the trio attempted to steel themselves, it all was just so unnerving. 

“ _At last…,”_ they all heard within their skulls, the speaker indisputable. It made them all absolutely want to puke. “ _At long last…”_

Palpatine mentally spoke to each of them then. 

To Kylo he said: _Soon… this fleet will all be yours._

To Krys he said: _Even now, so loyal to your Master?_

And to Rey he said: _Welcome home._

Then to them all: _You shall see. It will all become clear._

But they _refused_ to talk back. They couldn’t let him know what they were thinking, planning. It might be useless, but putting up their cognitive shields was the best they could do right now.

And they were lowered down by the platform.

They saw again the science of Snoke clones. 

The Dark throne empty before them.

But this time, a multitude of cultists rallied upon their entrance. Gathered around like an arena to a stage, a wave of Sith Eternal clamored for the exchange. In their ancient evil language, they chanted what sounded like an incantation. 

The rocks around rang with the sound. As the trio took position before the great chair, shivers rocked through their bones. And _he_ appeared.

Palpatine, moved by his mechanical harness, took his place at his royal seat. And the horde went absolutely wild.

“LONG LIVE THE EMPEROR!” sung the chorus, “LONG LIVE THE EMPEROR!”

Tremors. Tremors everywhere.

And the dark god quieted them with but a hand.

“My loyal disciples… Long have I… have _we… w_ aited for this day. The day the Last Jedi stands before us. The last of the Light, flickering in the Darkness. Where she shall pledge her allegiance to the _Sith_.”

And the cultists lost their goddamn minds.

Krys prodded the Jedi to step forward like an offering. Kylo’s face, under the helmet, appeared the same as back in Snoke’s throne room. While this time, the betrayal was planned, he could not stand to see his love once more brought to the altar like a sacrifice.

Despite her wavering voice, Rey spoke firmly: “I will not turn.”

And Palpatine emitted a horrendous laugh, along with the rest of the acolytes.

“So you say,” said Palpatine, “But you _will_ … and when you _do_ … I shall live on in you.”

The trio all flinched. What the fuck had he just said?

“ _What?_ ” Rey bellowed, “What… do you mean?”

“When Vader… destroyed my body…,” Palpatine looked to his decaying hands, “my spirit journeyed back here… as all Dark spirits do… to the home of the Sith. Back to the true believers.”

And the crowd again rejoiced. Their voices felt like spiders crawling up and down one’s skin.

“They have been ever faithful… and patient,” Palpatine expounded, “for me to bring them a new world. One of plenty,” he said, as the freezing blizzard wind howled through an opening in the ceiling. “And so I guided them… through the Dark sciences… to resurrect me in another form.”

The trio followed the dark god’s gaze to the failed clones at the labs. The half-formed Snokes.

“This body…,” Palpatine peered at his decaying hands, “It has been sustained by the intrinsic Darkness of Exegol.”

 _I knew it_ , thought Kylo, glancing at the harness. _I knew it._

Krys studied the design, her eyes subtly following the power lines from his tether to the middle of the arena. They wired down into a gigantic, seemingly bottomless pit. Where did it lead?

“But this body… is artificial,” Palpatine explained, “And long… past due. My spirit must venture to another vessel.” His eyes met Rey’s. “And it will be in yours. When you turn.”

A look of horror passed over the trio, especially Rey. The whole revelation made her feel utterly dirty.

“That…,” she struggled to understand. “That’s.” And then she turned angry. “That’s _disgusting_. I don’t want that.” She stood her ground, a fire arising from her, “I said I wasn’t going to turn - now I _definitely_ won’t. What could you ever do that would make me want to now? What could you possibly say?” Annoyance even colored her now: “Everyone keeps telling me _you’re going to turn, you’re going to turn._ But WHY _?_ Why should I? What could _you_ have that I’d ever want badly enough to do so?”

And a vile gleam entered into the Emperor’s pupils. 

“What do I have for you? Oh. What do I have for you? Do you know what you could have, if only you turned to the Dark?”

Rey stared on, unblinkingly, resolutely, and the Emperor waved with contempt, motioning to his workers by the labs. Immediately, they went to work, their lead scientist inputting a series of keys. Rey and the rest of the trio watched with confusion.

What was this all about?

Then two of the tubes wheeled out to the front, replacing the Snokes. The liquid inside of them clouded the inhabitants within. They could barely be made out. But then the glass of the tubes began to empty.

Palpatine whispered:

“The Light always says to let go… What if you didn’t have to?”

And Rey gasped as a couple weakly stepped out from the lab’s design.

“Mom…?” she said, her heart beating itself open. Kylo in turn shared in the shock. “Dad…?”

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AWWWWW SHIT YALL
> 
> Thanks for reading! I’m going to aim to upload regularly every Wednesday for Teach Me, Please. 
> 
> Here we go! 
> 
> Find me on tumblr as @KyloWithAZukoArc! Love to chat.


	30. Chapter 30

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Palpatine has resurrected Rey’s parents from the dead! How will she react?
> 
> Or: things take an unexpected turn.  
> Several, actually.

There was no denying the resemblance. Kylo’s recollection from the visions bled into Rey. The walkers were the spitting image of her parents. Rey’s legs shook.

“This is a trick,” she labelled. Falsehoods. Fakes.

“It is no trick,” the dark god informed, “I plucked their spirits from eternity. Just for you.”

And the cuffs fell from Rey’s wrists. 

“You won't need those anymore,” he added. 

Rey’s parents staggered from the outlets. They were alive? They were _alive_?

It was now the scavenger couldn’t help herself. 

She ran to them.

Kylo was stunned. He hated them enough for abandoning Rey. The filthy junk traders. Yet here she was, fleeing to them like all was forgiven.

Krys held disbelief. This wasn’t supposed to be happening. Their plans…

The mother and father coughed, bleary eyed to the world, when Rey embraced them. 

“Mom, Dad, Mom, Dad,” she repeated forever. “You… you came back… You came back…”

Kylo and Krys worried. Could Rey refuse this offer?

Surely, Palpatine would make her parents crumble to dust before her if she didn’t turn. He would take them away from her again. Could she stand that?

Kylo felt her jubilation through and through. Was she already lost to this?

Krys calculated. If Rey pledged her allegiance, and Palpatine lived on in her… Would that make Rey the new dark god?

Krys’ archenemy… would be the new Empress?

The Sith clenched her fist at the thought.

A small fall of tears came from Rey's face as she held her mother and father. But like waking from a dream, her parents were still not completely aware of their surroundings. 

“Who…?” said the mom. 

“It’s me,” Rey said, giving a squeeze, sniffling, “It’s Rey. Rey.”

And the two of her parents looked deep upon their daughter, squinting. 

“… Who?”

And Rey felt a drop inside of her. 

Like falling while sitting still.

Kylo hitched. Something new sprang from inside Rey then. Something unexpected.

Rey blinked.

“You don’t… remember me?”

Her sweet hold began to release.

The parents’ faces held no recognition as they looked at her. A twinge arose in Rey.

“I waited for you every day… to come back…,” she stated.

And the Force gripped her parents' forms.

“And you don’t… remember me?”

Krys watched in shock. What now? Was the Jedi…?

 _Rey…_ Kylo thought, seeing a side of her he never thought would truly transpire. The Dark side… It channeled through her.

The couple were now having a hard time breathing. Rey didnt even notice, lost in the kindling. 

“You sold me… for drinking money...to Unkar fucking Plutt. I lived in hell, everyday. I hoped. I prayed. Everyday.”

“Rey…!” Kylo called to her. He had to snap her out of it.

But she was too far gone. 

She belted: “And you… don’t… REMEMBER ME?!”

_Makes you angry, doesn’t it?_

_Do you hate them?_

_You will._

And Rey felt the life force of them disappear. 

Her parents’ bodies went limp before her.  
  


And the crowd went fucking wild. 

Rey watched in shock as her mother and father fell to the ground. 

What had she…? Did she just??

And Palpatine absolutely cackled in complete triumph. 

“Yes… YES…!” came his exuberance, “You let the anger flow through you!! _Yes_!! YES! There she is. There is the Empress we have been waiting for. Such anger! Such pain! HahaHAHAHAHA.” The dark god was like thunder in his reveling. 

Kylo sat aghast at the transaction of events. He looked to Palpatine though, the god relishing the victory. There was still time.

“Now Krys,” he whispered to his Apprentice. This was the moment. Palpatine was completely focused on Rey. They could still win at the last second.

Krys took in it all. Palpatine. The Jedi. Everything. And she drew her saber, she cut it on, and she threw it.

There it felt like time just fucking stopped.  
  


So. Rey turned, went Krys’ mind. 

Rey was on a path foretold to rule the galaxy. Somehow, Palpatine would disappear into her. No doubt Rey’s first steps would be to kill Krys immediately. And take Kylo by her side. 

_There can only be two. No more, no less._

A raging fire lit inside Krys then.

She could not have that.

In that moment, she knew she hated Rey more than she feared Palpatine.

And every witness gasped.

A new shock covered Rey’s face.

The short blade had sailed, not into the harness, but into Rey’s back. It stuck her right in the heart.

“NOO!” Kylo screamed out. 

And at once, the Jedi, the Supreme Leader, and the Apprentice were arrested in the Force by Palpatine. 

He lifted them off the ground in a crucifix fashion, and there was no shaking him. They couldn’t even speak.

But the worst part was, he was still laughing:

“Young fool… Young, young fool. Thank you.”

He peeled the saber from Rey’s stabbing with his mind.

“Now. As I once fell,” Palpatine smirked, “so shall you.”

And Palpatine sent Krys flying straight out into the pit. 

Kylo went to yell for her, but it was suffocated inside him. 

She was already gone.

The Apprentice screamed as she descended faster and faster into the depths below. She tried to maneuver to grab a side, but in doing so, her hands were sliced open from sharp rocks jutting out.

No. Those weren’t rocks. Those were…!

And she was bashed against the walls of the pit, smacked about from one ledge to another, until she slammed totally onto a stone shelf, completely winded, bones broken.

With kyber crystals skewered through her shoulder.

-

Kylo choked. In not even a minute, he had lost both of his partners. The great emptiness of the severed Force Connection wracked through him. It was like half of himself was gone, a great disturbance in the Force.

And yet, he could only watch, horrified, as Palpatine threw down Krys’ offending saber to the ground, unbothered. As if this was all meant to be.

“Now… watch, Apprentice,” Palpatine called to Kylo, “We have only begun here.”

Kylo’s struggled without comprehension. Why was Palpatine happy for this? The Last Jedi he wanted was… Rey was…

And the cultists began their chanting again in the ancient Sith language. As they did so, Palpatine’s acolytes gathered Rey up onto a stretcher and swept away the parents’ corpses. They pulled Rey to the lab then, to an empty tube.

 _Oh god…_ Kylo beheld. _This was… Oh god…_

-

Krys could not yell from the pain if she wanted to. Her lungs on fire, the searing intensity was all there was in that moment. Her brain swam with nothing else. But then it started to slowly fade.

A liquid red pooled all around her, starting to drip off the edge.

 _Oh God_ , she thought. She couldn’t believe it.

_I’m dying._

-

The acolytes carefully embedded wiring all about Rey’s limp form. Kylo traced the threads from her in the the lab back to the harness of Palpatine. The same wiring was plugged into the dark god’s spine. 

Were Kylo not paralyzed, he could have hurled right then and there.

-

Krys, staring upwards from inside the pit, saw the twinkling of all the kyber crystal. 

Every which one was red.

They were all bled. Every single one. While still in the earth.

And following them down, Krys craned her neck to look towards the bottom of the hole. The kyber concentrated more and more towards the depths of the shaft. Why was that?

And something else caught her eye.

The cables to Palpatine’s machinery.

It ran all the way down to the center of the planet. 

-

Finished with their interlacing, the scientists entered Rey into a specially designated tank. 

“I aim to keep my word,” Palpatine relayed to Kylo, “After this, I shall give you the ships. And then… we can return again as Master and Apprentice. We can reign once more together, this time as the _Final Order_.”

Cheers, cheers, and more cheers recurred. 

Kylo continued to resist, but the futility was obvious. Despair began to sink into the Supreme Leader.

This was all so wrong.

It was so, so wrong. 

-

There was still a shot, Krys thought.

There was still time. 

She could fix this.

The cables were anchored across the hollow. She steeled herself then. She manipulated the pain of it all into absolute fury. The Dark side swam around her indignantly, and in pure spite, with a sickening yell, she pulled herself off the kyber spikes. 

-

The acolytes filled Rey’s tank with the preservative ooze. From his position, Kylo could see the massive hole in Rey’s torso from the saber.

It was a ghastly, haunting image.

And while there was nothing else he wanted but for her to live again, he shuddered. Why did it have to be like this?

Why?

Still, he pushed against Palpatine’s grip.

And still, it did nothing.

-

Krys’ eyes showed yellow as she forced herself to stand. Her body would not work for her, but she made it work, blood pouring down her frame. Her vision blurred tremendously. Still, she readied her one last saber with her one last good arm. 

She deliberated. The cords were huge, wrapped in a solid protective covering. Throwing the blade may not be enough. She knew, too, she didn’t have a lot of time. She gathered she only had one try at this. She would have to make it count, and slice the cords entirely apart.

She extended her feelings.

Kylo. He was still alive.

She sighed, relieved.

It gave her the boost she needed.

She could do this. If Kylo could live, she would hurl herself across the pit and destroy the power system.

She would do it for him.

-

The labs whirred to life as the scientists inputted their last computations. Palpatine could not help but laugh yet again.

“Initiate the sequence,” he commanded.

And there was nothing Kylo could do about it.

A giant surge of lightning filled the lab space then, energizing the whole area. Its own source cables buried deep into Exegol.

And Rey’s form jerked from the power.

-

Krys grounded her feet. She breathed in.

It was all or nothing. 

And so she used the Force.

The yellow in her eyes practically glowed as she lurched herself over the excavation, against all the screaming in her body. She wielded her saber.

And she struck true.

-

Palpatine immediately twitched from the sensation.

“ _What_ ,” he uttered. The animation of his tether - suddenly, he could feel it drop. So too was he struck with weakness. A million thoughts ran through him. 

This was too soon.

Had he misinterpreted?

But at that, Kylo was dropped from his hold. 

And the Supreme Leader rallied towards the god with his flickering saber.

-

At that, Rey’s spirit awoke.

Around her were mirages of red kyber. As if she was in a dark cave lit by the red of gems. And before her, she saw her Dark Self once more.

“You again,” Rey hissed.

And Dark Rey smiled. 

-

An explosion of light hit Krys when she slashed the cords. This was it, she thought. This was how she was to die. Destroying the dark god. Eliminating the Jedi. Saving her Master, her teacher. The one she loved.

It was a good death. One she could accept.

But what greeted her was not the reaper.

Instead, she found her Dark Self once more.

Another vision.

But, she had cut off Palpatine’s sustenance. There was no way this was still him.

Was it?

“Who are you?!” Krys riled against the mirage.

And Dark Krys smiled.

“ _I am all the Sith…_ ” she said.

-

“ _… And you are one of us_ ,” finished Dark Rey.

The Sith spirits spoke in tandem to their other selves.

Krys and Rey, separately, yet in unison, absorbed the information in surprise.

“You’re not Palpatine?” they replied.

“ _He is but a part of us_ ,” said the Sith spirits. They lorded over the listeners. “ _Our ghosts are drawn to Exegol... And he has been sourcing us to fuel his abilities…_ ” The red and yellow eyes met their respective gazes. “ _… but now, he wants more… He wants the power of the Dyad._ ” 

-

Palpatine’s security rushed Kylo, but to no avail: he sliced through each of them without missing a step.

And for the first time in 500 years, Palpatine was afraid.

“You think you can defeat me,” he seethed, already feeling his hands beginning to lose their shape. “Fools. You’re all fools!”

And he inputted a code from the control pad at his throne. A great vibration through the Force hit Kylo then, as the tubes that housed the clones opened.

And out stepped five malformed Snokes, each groaning like the undead.

Kylo whirled back around now.

He’d faced his Master before.

But had only defeated him in a trick.

But now there were five?

Even if they were failed versions…

He readied his stance.

“Only a little longer,” whispered Palpatine to himself. He felt his vitality draining. While his legs were already withering into dust, he looked onto the turned Jedi in the tube. He felt his consciousness leaving him. “Just a little longer.”

-

“Dyad?” echoed the listeners.

“ _Two that are one in the Force_ ,” the Sith spirits informed.

Rey and Krys realized,

“The Connection.”

The ghosts nodded. “ _The likes of it unseen for generations. Its potential… is great and terrible. Palpatine craves it… to be a part of it._ ”

-

Kylo charged back towards the Snokes while they still moaned from awakening. If he was fast, perhaps he could slice one or two before they could catch themselves.

But his legs were arrested. One of the clones had reached with the Force out towards him, gurgling horribly.

“Shit,” Kylo cussed, “Shit.”

But he fought back.

-

“ _Now…_ ,” the Sith ghosts went on, “ _It is time you reached your own potential._ ”

“My potential?” Rey and Krys echoed.

The Dark of them nodded.

-

The Dark of Rey spoke to the Jedi:

“ _It’s time you became the pinnacle. It’s time you arrested the power of the Dyad for yourself._ ”

-

The Dark of Krys spoke to the Apprentice:

“ _It’s time the student became the Master. It’s time you became the Dyad killer…”_

-

“… _and reigned in Darkness_ ,” the Sith charged unto them.

-

Kylo roared, pushing back at the misshapen reproductions. The lower Snoke near bent to Kylo’s will, but then another clone joined in, and another. 

The Supreme Leader was beginning to break.

-

The women barely registered what their Darkness was saying. There was too much wrong with the statements.

Rey spoke, “But I… I don’t want that kind of power. Or to rule in Darkness.”

And the Dark of her looked on.

-

Krys replied, “Dyad Killer… So me killing Kylo and Rey? _That’s_ what I have been seeing all these years?”

And the Dark of her looked on.

“I told you,” Krys growled, “over and over, I’m not betraying my Master!” Her mind raced, puzzling everything together. “And it’s moot anyway - the Dyad is done. I killed Rey. I destroyed Palpatine’s life-source. It’s over.” She got excited. “So you were wrong, you were _wrong_!”

But Dark Krys only shook her head.

-

And now, all five Snokes targeted Kylo.

He bellowed back against them, but already he could feel their claws inside his skull.

“ _Don’t you want to rule?_ ” came their message into his head, _“Become one with Palpatine. Enter the Connection with him._ ”

Kylo grit his teeth so hard they could snap.

“Ever since I was a child,” he said, “I’ve heard your voice,” the anger riled up within, feeding his Darkness. “Manipulating me. Telling me what to do. Well no more. _No more_.” He reeled back, “Get… out… of… my… _HEAD!_ ”

And the pressure into his mind lifted, wherefore two of the Snokes flew back against the wall, their weak bodies snapping upon impact.

-

The Dark of Rey said unto her:

“ _All your life you have struggled. At the mercy of the desert. Unkar Plutt. The First Order. Don’t you want to be the one in control?_ ”

-

The Dark of Krys said unto her:

“ _If you go back to him, he will never see you. The moment he saw her, it was over. Doesn’t that rip you apart?_ ”

-

“ _Kylo has become your passion. Why don’t you join him at his side?_ ”

-

“ _Kylo has become your weakness. Won’t you rid yourself of weakness?”_

-

“ _The Resistance holds you back._ ”

-

“ _Kylo is holding you back_.”

-

“ _It’s time you accepted your Dark Side._ ”

-

“ _It’s time you took his position._ ”

-

The Force ghosts spoke together: “ _Though you are dying._ ”

The listeners were so inundated from it all, they could hardly reply.

“ _Yet we can bring you back_.”

And so their parting words were:

“ _Rise to your potential_.”

“ _Kill your weakness._ ”

-

And Rey and Krys awoke.

And they found themselves completely healed.

With the power of Exegol running in their veins.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AAAAAA??!?!!!!!???????
> 
> y’all
> 
> I’m so excited.
> 
> Let’s chat! Find me on tumblr as @KyloWithAZukoArc
> 
> “TEACH ME, PLEASE” updates every Wednesday!


	31. Chapter 31

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You all have been very patient for that Reylo energy. Finally... It has COME.  
> And... all the fallback from it too.
> 
> Here we go.

Since the Supreme Leader, Apprentice, and Jedi entered Exegol, only a few minutes had passed from the First Order’s end. But those few minutes had been _excruciating._ General Hux stood perfectly still on the bridge, unmoving as the workers monitored the situation.

When the scanners rang alive -

“Sir,” a dispatcher initiated, “Our scouts report the energized barrier has begun to diminish.”

“Yes??” Hux sparked.

The screens lit with new intel. “Our radar has begun to detect Exegol on the map!”

Hux ran through the possibilities. Was Palpatine making a move? Was he letting them in? Were the battleships coming to destroy them? 

Was Palpatine dead?

“What is the enemy fleet’s position?” the General demanded.

“Ascertaining that now… Standing by.”

Hux held his breath.

 _Krys,_ he thought to himself. _Be safe._

-

Krys, though, Krys was falling. When she had awoken, she saw the bedrock walls zoom by her as she careened down to the planet’s center. The red kyberite around her shew redder and redder the farther she plummeted.

She should be terrified.

And yet she had never felt so alive.

Her bones had mended.

Her flesh was rejoined.

And that next _hit._

It swam through her bloodstream like never before.

At that, Krys called her saber to her. And she kicked against the walls, from one step up to the next. The yellow in her eyes positively gleamed.

And like a bat out of hell, Krys began her ascent.

-

Kylo kept his full concentration on the Snokes. There were still three against him. He may have weeded their thorns from his mind, but their pressure still threatened to overtake him.

When an incredible aura flung through it all.

Something _else_ now surrounded him, pushed with him.

 _Kylo_ , he heard in his head.

And all at once, against all odds, Kylo felt whole again.

Though there was a Darkness there he did not understand.

He looked over to the source. _Rey_ , he thought.

And there she was, inside the large vial. Her hand reaching out.

And the glass that contained her — it rattled and shook until it _shattered_ apart.

The liquid spewed out like a tidal wave, splashing all over the stage.

The wires holding her snapped apart.

And there she stood, remade. Whole again.

But her eyes.

They were red.

Her energy surged in and around him without reserve. It pulsed with the quality of all the Sith. It shook him. It consumed him. 

It terrified him. 

_Rey… This is you?_ he thought to her. _It’s you?_

 _I’m here_ , she relayed back, _Be with me._

And that was that.

It completely fueled him.

His energy washed back into hers. As their waves met, they flowed back and forth within each other. Like a feedback loop, each turn only grew stronger and stronger. They grounded each other to keep it going.

The Connection cut fully alive.

And it spiraled exponentially.

-

Krys felt a disturbance in the Force.

It almost knocked her off keel. She paused at a ledge to fully register it.

A bizarre mix of auras she felt. One in particular she parsed out…

 _No,_ she thought. She knew this presence. It wasn’t possible. She _destroyed_ it.

Yet, it was there. And something was _different_ about it.

And she felt other signatures as well.

Kylo’s. Thankfully.

And something _like_ Palpatine. But not.

Yet Palpatine’s soul itself, it was…

Krys doubled her speed to reach the top.

What the fuck was _happening_?

-

The Snokes stood no chance.

The devils wailed from the effort to defend. Even though they outnumbered the Dyad, it was not enough.

Their hands snapped backwards.

Their knees fractured out.

Their ribs cracked inside.

Their spines splintered apart.

And all the Snokes’ blood smattered the wall.

The crowd gasped from it all, going radio silent as Kylo relinquished his hand. Slowly, the amplification of their energies began to quiet. Kylo surveyed in the damage the two of them had done, taking off his helmet. It was unreal. The aftershocks vibrated in his bones. Everything seemed to operate in slow motion. Then he looked to Rey. And she to him.

And there were no words.

Because there didn’t have to be.

Rey stepped from the chamber, her hair clinging to her face, the solution dripping off her form. 

And she had never looked more beautiful to him in his entire life. 

He was in complete awe. His heart raced as she approached him, never breaking contact. Totally mesmerized.

There, she extended her hand to him.

And he took it.

And pulled her in.

Kylo kissed Rey like the sky meets the ocean in a rainstorm. He fell into her, and they were one. His clouds were now her water, and she gave back hers to his sky. The reciprocation spun their souls alive until the rain turned into a hurricane. They swam in each other. It was everything. Nothing else mattered. Like nothing else _existed._

When the discarded shortblade on the ground shot between them. The lovers broke their kiss, hearing the plasma _hiss-snap_ right before it took their heads off. Their eyeline followed the blade in astonishment as it met its owner.

Krys stood on the ledge of the pit, her hand grasping the retrieved weapon. Her eyes absolutely on fire.

“Krys,” escaped Kylo’s lips.

And she took it in: the broken resurrection chamber. The red in Rey’s eyes. Rey in his arms.

Rey in his arms.

It happened.

It really happened.

Krys had cast herself into death’s wake to keep her Master safe. And this was how she found him?

He must have thought she was dead. But he never checked on her. Instead he was…

_If you go back to him, he will never see you._

_The moment he saw her, it was over._

_Doesn’t that rip you apart?_

“ _TRAITOR!_ ” Krys fucking screamed. She screamed it over, and over, and over again. She knew it. She fucking _knew it_. “Traitor, traitor, traitor, traitor, _TRAITOR!_ ”

“No, Krys. Don’t!” Kylo held up his hands.

But nothing he could ever say would change the next course of action: 

Krys hurled herself fully at her Master and his lover.

The First Order did not matter here.

Palpatine was nothing here.

Jedi nor Sith was anything to Krys.

Only the pain of betrayal.

He betrayed her.

She had fought it at every turn.

She’d been warned time and time again.

But she held out hope.  
  


Worthless hope. 

Tears could have shrouded her vision were there any to shed.

But no, she was only fury.

She was only _Force_.

Rey called her sabers from Kylo’s waist and readied herself against the Sith.

Kylo raised his own in a horrified defense.

But Krys’ blades - Krys released them behind her as she ran.

And then they floated beside her. Spinning next to her as she assailed forward.

Krys jumped, pulling the sabers up with her, and brought them down upon the offenders.

Krys fought both Kylo and Rey at the same time. As Rey’s blues came across, Krys moved a red with the Force to block them. So too with its twin, Krys led that to slice at Kylo, him parrying. 

It was an aggressive, ugly dance.

“Apprentice— STOP; I order you to STOP!” Kylo belted.

“ _I am no longer your Apprentice,_ ” Krys sibilated.

Rey darkly smiled, “He is no longer your _Master_.”

And Krys exploded, now slamming both of her sabers at the new Dark Force user. Rey laughed at the endeavor.

“BOTH OF YOU, _STOP THIS!_ ” Kylo ordered. He attempted a Force hold upon them both. But it muddied the Connection. Both Krys and Rey shrugged it off.

Now angry.

“She tried to _kill me_ ,” Rey rang.

“Stop _protecting_ _her_ ,” Krys raged.

And the girls blasted him away. 

Kylo was thrusted to the other side of the platform as the women continued to bat at each other. The reds and blues clashed and clashed. Krys now manipulated her reds around the new Dark Force user, making the blades circle around like vultures looking for a kill. Rey knocked them away at every turn.

Kylo jumped back onto his feet. He needed to get them away from each other anyway he could. 

Rey and Krys were almost too engrossed to realize him tossing the Snoke container towards them. But at the last second, they dodged the holder - it splitting apart as it met the floor. The glass fragmented to pieces about the stage.

The crowd began to chant again, now entranced by the fight. 

Krys stood back, bringing her reds with her, getting a good view at the new Dark Force user some ways away.

And Rey smirked.

She connected her sabers.

Then holding the new staff out, Rey concentrated, keeping eye contact with Krys.

The former Apprentice needed to see this.

Krys’s belligerent eyes widened as she saw it. The two blues…

With a terrifying yell from Rey, the blues transformed a into red light. 

Both of them.

Inside their lightsabers.

They turned _red_.

And the crowd went wildly insane. The chanting only sprang louder and louder in the ancient language. 

Krys couldn’t believe it. She sensed the same power of Exegol within Rey as she had in herself. 

The same Force that brought Krys back from the brink of death... so too did it run through Rey.

Krys had killed the Jedi. And it didn’t matter.

It wasn’t fair.

It wasn’t FAIR.

Krys goddamn _roared_ in frustration.

And as she did, the slab beneath her cracked. A shockwave was sent from out her that broke the stone structures around them. 

The statues of Sith long passed, they began to crush apart. 

Suddenly, there was an avalanche of falling debris. Rey and Kylo ran every which way to avoid it, but as the rocks descended, dust covered the arena, rendering visibility useless.

And Krys silenced her energy.

 _Rey_ , Kylo called out with this mind. 

_I’m here_ , came the reply. He felt her some distance away, but he walked blindly. So he closed his eyes, using the Force to see.

When he heard the hum of two sabers nearby.

 _Rey?_ he called with his spirit.

And the sabers grew louder and louder.

He ducked.

Right in time, before he was decapitated.

“ _Traitor_ ,” Krys accused, the reds retracting, disappearing back into the fog.

“Please,” Kylo replied to the wind, “Let me explain.”

“You’re a _monster_.”

Wow. Where had he heard that before?

“Yes, _I am._ But put down your sabers, and we can talk. We can-”

“No. No, we _can’t_.”

And Krys darted out from the shadows, the reds showcasing her strike.

But Rey stopped them. 

Rey appeared to her lover’s side, her staff blocking the shortblades at Kylo’s face.

Krys growled from the block and retreated back into the sooty mist. Growling too, Rey followed.

“Stop!!” Kylo continued to plead, running after them.

But there was no stopping them.

-

“Sir,” came the report at the First Order, “We have visual confirmation of the Star Destroyer fleet. They are in formation. But have not advanced.”

Hux assessed. What were the ships waiting for?

“Can we contact our ground forces yet?”

“The signal is still too weak, but it is coming online.”

“Open it anyway,” Hux mandated.

“Channel opened,” they obeyed.

Hux addressed: “Supreme Leader. Madam Ren,” he messaged, “Come in, what is the situation?”

But there was nothing but static.

“Keep trying,” ordered Hux. “Ready us for attack, but do not instigate until we know the fleet’s intention.”

Hux swallowed. Anything could happen next. His eyes kept on the distant blot of Exegol. Its electricity broke up, the astroid shield began loosening. Its atmosphere opening.

Opening.

-

Rey breathed in, and she breathed out. She sent a pulse out that cleared away the dust cloud, revealing Krys beyond her. Krys spun around at that, feeling the torrent.

The new Dark Force user thought, _It’s time to end this_.

And she reached deep within herself.

In the back of her mind, Rey heard a distant cackle. One that was not from her, nor from Kylo. But in that moment, she did not question it. All she knew from it was power. A current rising from inside her. One that charged from her soul. She summoned it. And commanded it out to her enemy.

A lightning blast emitted from Rey’s hand then. Its great light lit the whole arena, its incredible energy felt by every onlooker. 

Kylo was stopped in his tracks, blocking his eyes from the bright, unexpected flash. And Krys had no time to think. 

There was only instinct now. She brought up both her sabers, crossing them against each other. At the last second, the bolt was halted by her twin blades. She held her position from the fulmination, the sparks and heat sizzling, its brightness whiting out her sight.

How could this be? Krys thought, struggling against it. The only time they had seen this ability before was from…

And Rey kicked in even more, using both hands now, her hilts at her hip.

Until Krys had had enough.

With a feral screech, Krys heaved. Tilting her sabers, she redirected the current, running it back towards the new Dark Force user. And Rey had no bearings for it.

The burst hit Rey’s entire being, flying her back against a giant hunk of rubble. The electricity stunned her body, the rock near winding her, and she fell to the dirt.

Krys wasted no time. She ran up to the felled rival, brandishing a weapon, rising it high above her head.

“STAY DEAD THIS TIME,” Krys screamed, about to bring down the blade on Rey’s chest.

“ _NO!_ ” Kylo brawled. And before he realized it, his own saber was leaving his hand.

It sailed over to the sith women, over Rey, and to Krys, closing in. As Krys pulled down her arm to stab Rey, suddenly, it was gone.

Krys’ right forearm was gone.

Shock disrupted her trajectory. She only looked to Kylo then, his saber clanking against a wall behind her, her unable to process what just happened. He in the same way.

But Rey could. Immediately, and without hesitation. 

And in that split second, Rey used her own saber. She carved it through the air.

Cutting Krys’ left leg off at the shin.

And the former Apprentice fell.

Krys lost her balance, and she was falling.

 _No_ , she thought, _This isn’t happening_.

_This isn’t happening._

There was no way.

But upon her smacking the surface, Rey continued to punish.

The Queen raised herself up, tapping into the Darkness, and clamped her palm over Krys’ head.

“ _Suffer_ ,” Rey commanded.

And Krys could no longer see anything. 

It was the same as the first test.

That in the throne room so long ago.

Her ears were screaming, her vision was bleary; she could be yelling, but she wouldn’t know; she couldn’t tell from the utter intensity flooding her being. Everything was on fire. Her blood was now lava. Her legs and arms didn’t exist except to feel pain. Her chest held infernos. Her head was going to combust. Every inch of her being only knew hell.

But this round, Krys didn’t have the strength to resist.

She crumbled to it.

She was nothing.

No one would ever see her.

Her potential was gone.

She had failed.

She was weak.

And she was _nothing_.

The black of it all, it enveloped her. And all she understood was hurt.

“ _He’s mine_ ,” Rey whispered to a collapsed Krys.

When Kylo demanded, “ _STOP!_ Rey, _STOP!_ ”

But Rey wouldn’t.

Not until he literally _shoved_ her off. 

Krys was gone to the world, wrecked beyond all compare. Yet Kylo could still sense a Force signature from her, however faint, however mangled.

She was still alive.

Thank god.

When Rey barraged at him:

“WHAT are you _doing_?!” she outraged.

“Don’t kill her,” Kylo entreated, standing between Krys and Rey, “Please, don’t do it.”

“ _What??”_ Rey snarled, _“_ She tried to kill _me_ ,” she waved, “She practically _did_.”

“Because of _me,_ ” Kylo emphasized. _“_ It’s my fault. This is all my fault.”

Rey’s eyes squinted; she was about to fight more, when the crowd erupted into cheers:

“THE EMPEROR IS DEAD,” they expressed, “LONG LIVE THE EMPEROR AND EMPRESS!”

And the duo paused in their places.

“THE EMPEROR IS DEAD, LONG LIVE THE EMPEROR AND EMPRESS!” the audience repeated. They did so over and over.

Kylo and Rey looked to each other, and then back to the throne. 

Palpatine.

Palpatine was gone.

Only his robes were left. And ash. 

And the cackling in Rey’s mind.

It grew ever louder.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A lot is happening y’all.
> 
> Thank you for reading “Teach me, Please.” It updates every Wednesday. 
> 
> Find me on tumblr as @KyloWithAZukoArc!
> 
> I reply to every commenter here, let me know your thoughts!


	32. Chapter 32

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Palpatine has made his move!  
> So Kylo and Rey make their own!  
> Which makes Hux make his!  
> Which makes the Stormtroopers make theirs!
> 
> A lot is happening a lot will continue to happen lol.

Kylo Ren heard it, too. The sounding in Rey’s skull, in the periphery of his consciousness. The familiar chill it brought. He recognized it instantly, for Kylo knew it all too well. The worst that could happen, it _happened_ -

“Palpatine…,” Kylo began, “He’s… inside your head.”

Rey’s red eyes went wide with realization. As if electricity stunned her being. She looked to her hands.

“That… That lightning… That… wasn’t me,” she breathed, “It wasn’t me.”

The horror of it all flooded them.

“I saw the wiring,” Kylo said, “When you were… gone… His device not only connected to Exegol… It connected to you.”

Rey’s skin completely crawled. Horror biting them both. Kylo grit his teeth. 

Why did Palpatine _always_ come back? How come they could never get _rid_ of him?

The Supreme Leader glanced over to his former Apprentice then, angry as hell. Krys was supposed to cut Palpatine’s power. She was -

“She did,” Rey answered his trail of thought. He whipped around, confused. 

“What?”

“I saw it, when I…” Rey trailed off. It flared in her mind, her palm to Krys’ head, the intent to kill, to torture. To make one suffer. Infecting the mind.

Dismay afflicted Rey. She really did that to Krys? That had been _her_?

“Krys cut his power?” Kylo asked.

Rey blinked back to the subject at hand. “Yes. She was in the pit. And she…” Rey parsed the information together. “Krys came in contact with his power source in the process.”

The energy of all the Sith. Of Exegol. Rey could feel it still churn in Krys, too.

And it pissed her off horrendously. Rey clenched her sabers.

That power was hers, _dammit_. _Hers_.

Then Rey shook her head. Caught off guard again.

Since when did she have possessiveness like that?

“But it wasn’t enough,” Rey finished. “Palpatine… He still lives on… in me.”

She was ready to throw up.

Kylo hated it.

He knew exactly what it was like. To have those eyes in the back of your skull, watching you, telling you what to do, what to say, what to think. At all times. Every day. There was never any rest.

He had banished Snoke from his mind. But now Rey had Palpatine in hers.

Which was even _worse_.

But then a procession of higher Sith acolytes approached them. The clan bowed in full reverence, bringing black robes fit for a Queen. Rey, in shock, could only stare on as they wrapped her in them.

The acolytes then ushered the Dyad away to the front of the stage, now presenting them to the world:

“Oh great Dyad,” the acolytes said unto them, “Empress… Emperor… We have seen the Great Sidious’ lightning from your hands. He has delivered you to us. We see how He lives on in you, and we welcome you as his next line of kin. We are your humble servants; do with us as you see fit. What are your orders?”

And Rey and Kylo glanced to each other. Then back out to the mass of rejoicing fanatics.

Those who sung their praises. 

Worshipping her. Idolizing him. 

Them who would die for her. 

Who would kill for him. 

Where all need be done was to say the word.

The fleet… it now belonged to the Dyad.

Wait.

The fleet belonged to THEM?!

_Everything can be yours_ , they heard in Rey’s head. The dreadful laughter accompanied.

“ _NO!”_ Rey reacted, hands flying to her temples. The acolytes watched in confusion. Kylo grasped her shoulders.

“Rey, Rey!” he gripped her tight. But he could only listen in.

“He’s there,” she trembled, “He’s there. He’s there…”

 _You can be together now_ , came the notion. _Be the most powerful Emperor and Empress in history._

“Stop…,” Rey begged.

 _See… you’re holding yourself back. You always have…_ it peered _, But why? You’re of the Dark now. You don’t have to anymore._

She resisted: "But, I’m not…”

And the view of her parents hitting the floor crowded her mind.

“STOP!” she screamed.

“ _Rey!_ ” Kylo held her close.

The acolytes looked on in confusion as their Empress internally wrestled. The power of the red sabers spiked in her cerebral. 

Who even _was_ she anymore?

 _It would be so easy,_ said the voice. _Everything could be yours._

She trembled in Kylo’s arms, tears beginning to form. He listened in helplessly.

 _What’s stopping you from returning to the First Order, army in hand?_ it said, _You can have total control. No one would ever oppress you again. And you can finally be with him._

And Rey… thought about it.

She really thought about it.

… And so did Kylo.

That… had always been his dream. 

For them to be together. On one side. In the Dark. Ruling all.

Where nothing could ever challenge them.

They really had that chance now.

It was the throne room all over again.

She could offer him her hand this time.

But then he discerned:

 _No_ … This was what _Palpatine_ wanted.

Kylo remembered the dark god declare - “ _After this, I shall give you the ships. And then… we can return again as Master and Apprentice. We can reign once more together, this time as the_ Final Order _._ ”

It was a trap.

Sidious plotted for them to do this. 

He laid the ground to use their love for his benefit. He would live on, using them. 

Using her.

When static cut through everything: 

“Su…eme… Lead… co… in…. Krys.. come… in… Come in…” 

_The First Order_ , Kylo recognized. The General radioed them through his comlink. As the sky above opened more and more, the signal began to clear. Sunlight even now began to pour in. Actual sunlight.

“Supreme Leader,” the signal tapped in fully, “What is the situation? What is the fleet’s next move?” 

And the Sith acolyte respectfully posed: “Great leaders. What are your orders?”

And so spoke the voice: _What are you going to do?_

And Kylo peered at Rey. And she to him.

And the answer was obvious. 

Seeing her fear, Kylo knew exactly what he had to do.

And, for the first time in his life, he had the strength to do it.

-

Krys stirred in the blackness. In some far off place, a call came to her:

“Krys Ren,” it said, “Madam Ren, are you there?”

 _… Hu…x…?_ Krys grasped, barely conscious.

“Madam Ren, Madam Ren,” Hux repeated.

Krys… was alive? She was still alive. Everything stung. But she was still here.

“Krys,” he continued on, saying her name.

And Krys struggled. But she pushed herself to find him.

And she followed his voice out. 

-

 _We have to get him out of you_ , Kylo thought to Rey.

 _What?_ she sprang back.

 _What?_ said the wickedness.

 _He’ll haunt you forever,_ Kylo relayed, full of resolve, _Like he did to me. I can’t let that happen. Not to you. Or anyone. Ever again. No more._ His fist tightened around her cloak. _So let’s just go_.

 _You mean leave?_ she gasped.

Palpatine’s spirit hissed.

 _Yes. Somewhere, anywhere._ Kylo met her gaze. _Just not here._ He then peered about the dark miasma of Exegol. _This place… Won’t let that happen. He’s in power here. And he’d only manipulate us at the First Order..._ He bid to Rey in finality: _Let’s just go._

And Rey couldn’t believe it.

They were to run away together?

Really?

Truly?

Only in her wildest dreams they left the world behind. They would do it, in actuality?

There was nothing more she could ever wish for.

“Yes,” she said, “Yes,” she affirmed aloud.

And he took a moment to soak that in.

Then he gave her his hand.

And this time, she took it.

-

“Supreme Leader?” Hux now irritatedly reiterated into the intercom. “Can’t he hear me yet?”

“The communication is fully online. Perhaps he lost the link?” a worker theorized.

When new information arrived:

“General —,” another dispatcher addressed, surprise coating his tone, “Sir… we are receiving reports that… the fleet is _retreating_.”

“What??” Hux hit. 

“The scouts say the ships are falling back... And the electrical barrier - it has completely disappeared.”

-

The update was relayed throughout the whole Order. The enemy was evacuating? Before even a single blow had been exchanged, they were departing?

The skeleton crew in the prison ward was about to rejoice, when they asked themselves: 

But _why_ was the fleet leaving?? 

\- 

Back at the bridge, Hux instructed, “Tell the scouts to follow them in. Keep sight at ALL times.” 

And the First Order scrambled to his wishes. He continued to call out:

“Supreme Leader - come in, what is happening? What is -”

\- 

And Kylo crushed the comlink in his fingers.

He took great stock in it.

Just like that… he was leaving.

He was leaving the Order.

His life for the past fifteen years… Him ascending to its leadership. With this, he was giving it all up. And he knew, after it all, he could never return.

But to keep Rey safe. To take out Palpatine once and for all.

It would be worth it.

Rey now addressed the cultists. This was the only way it could happen. If they were to run, then they would need support. They would have to keep the First Order at bay, off their heels. 

They would do this. And figure out the details later. 

She inhaled, standing up straight, showing all her regality, speaking to her people for the very first time - 

As their _Empress_ : 

“Good people of Exegol…” she said, “Palpatine has promised you new lands. Well… we… we are here to deliver.” 

Everyone screamed in joy. At last, the cultists believed, all their hard work and patience had paid off. They were heading to the Promise Land. 

Rey gulped, feeling the wrongness in this. She knew she was twisting their hopes and dreams for her own good. And yet another part of her… she could not deny… enjoyed this power. 

“Nothing in the galaxy can rival us,” she charged up, telling them what they wanted to hear: “Wherever we want to go, we can go. Whatever we want to take, we can take. It’s all YOURS!!” 

She lifted her double saber, lit with triumph and anger and revenge. The crowd wiled out, they were nigh howling. 

And Kylo, his eyes were wide. All these promises… the smile on Rey’s face as she gave them. Like she couldn’t help herself. 

Like she believed every word she was saying. 

And her fleet surrounded them all. A transport ship lowered to their platform, a stair-step out ready for the Dyad to board. 

Rey turned to her lover, the red now in full glare. His breath hitched to see it. 

“Let’s go,” she said.

-

Back at the bridge, the reporter updated:

“Sir. We’ve lost contact with the Supreme Leader. And his nav tracker.”

Hux lurched. Did that mean Kylo was crushed? Was the Supreme Leader _dead_? A small spark of hope incited in the General.

When a feeble voice came over the line:

“Hu…x…,” it spoke. Not muddled by static, but from pain.

“ _Madam Ren_?” Hux gasped. And his joy diminished instantly. She sounded so, so…

“…. Hel…p… me…”

-

The advent of Hux’s voice raised her into a bloody wakefulness. Though every part of Krys stung, she mustered just enough strength to peep an SOS. The comlink shook feebly in her remaining hand.

-

Hux fully snapped.

Krys… was hurt.

She was _hurt_.

“FULL FORCE ATTACK,” the General commanded.

And at that, the entire First Order mobilized.

-

“We’re _moving_ ,” Finn observed in disbelief.

“Hux is instigating battle??” came back a Stormtrooper, “He’s making the first move? Is he MAD?” 

“And _why_? They’re _retreating_ ,” came another critique.

“We don’t stand a chance if they retaliate,” was another.

The fear lapped at all of them. But TE grounded himself. He took the floor. 

_No more useless deaths_ , he thought. _Not for what I can help._

“It’s now or never,” TE announced to the skeleton crew. Everyone looked to him then.

And Finn smiled.

“It’s going to be chaos out there. But it will provide us cover. We can slip through the cracks if we’re careful.” TE pulled out his blaster. “But we have to be fast. We got to get out before shots are fired.”

The Troopers, in agreement, released the prisoner. 

“Finn,” TE said to him, “Lead us to a new home.”

And Finn nodded grandly, pumping his fist.

“For JD! For KW!” Finn cheered. All the bacta swam in his veins from all their preparation to escape. “And for every Stormtrooper who’s ever been trampled by the First Order!”

“HURRAH!” came the skeleton crew. “HURRAH! HURRAH!”

And team assembled, they headed out.

-

Back on Exegol, Krys could barely see anything, her vision was so deteriorated. But she could make out a blackened form rising up a ramp far beyond her:

“… K… Kylo…?” she hoped, she guessed.

And Kylo felt her desperation. It chimed in through the Force. 

_Krys_ , he thought. How could he have forgotten…

He looked back to her, him standing atop of the bridge.

Krys was rendered to total shreds, clinging to life by only the special charge of Exegol. By all rights, she should be dead.

And if they were smart, they would have killed her too.

But… he couldn’t. He just couldn’t do that to her.

Not after everything.

And yet, even now, she still looked for him.

His heart died for it.

He was no longer her Master.

She was no longer his Apprentice.

And this… this was how it ended.

“I’m sorry,” Kylo said. “I’m sorry.”

It was all he could say.

And he boarded the ramp.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is there a way to write a love triangle without the person in the middle coming off like a total dick? Let me know lol. 
> 
> Thanks for reading!!   
> Find me on tumblr as @KyloWithAZukoArc. Love to chat!


	33. Chapter 33

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone is scrambling! The Stormtroopers to leave! Hux to the Final Order! Kylo and Rey to anywhere but here! 
> 
> Or: A lot continues to happen.

Further in the First Order, across the prison chambers, Poe paced in his prison. All he knew right now was the First Order was attacking _something_ , and all the Troopers were panicked as shit. If _they_ were panicked, how nervous should _he_ be?

When an intercom announcement buzzed in the ward:

“Every man on deck. All Stormtroopers report for battle. Repeat, every man on deck. All Stormtroopers report for battle.”

“ _What??_ ” one of Poe's guards recoiled, “What protocol is this? What about the prisoners?”

Poe tilted his head at the overhead speaker. He knew that voice _anywhere_. 

“Every man on deck. All Troopers report for battle,” the pager went on.

“Fuck,” the prison blocks’ Troopers resounded. _They_ weren’t supposed to be on the front lines. They might have been safe here…

But orders were orders. Unhappily, they left their stations without anymore questioning.

And suddenly, Poe was left alone with the other prisoners in his cell block - Chewy - and the Driver.

When a new group of Stormtroopers entered.

“Aw, what?” Poe gave them sass, “Too scared to fight after all?”

When their leader removed his helmet.

“FINN??” Poe exclaimed.

Chewy too screamed in his Chewy way.

Finn put his hand through the bars to his partner, and Poe grasped it tightly.

Poe was okay. A little beat up. But thank god. Poe was okay.

“What are you - How did you -” Poe couldn’t even finish his sentences.

Finn smiled to him. “Hey you. I heard you can pilot.”

And Poe raised his eyebrow.

And smiled right back. 

-

The main army of the First Order raced to the sphere of Exegol. Now reaching the astroid belt, though it was not nearly as packed as before, their larger ships still could not easily pass through. While the smaller TIE Fighters whirled through the cracks, the Dreadnoughts took pause to fire out a clearing.

“This is taking too long,” Hux worried, “What do the scouts say?”

“The enemy fleet has lowered to the monolith,” the General was told, “where the Sith Eternal are reported to reside. The scouts… they say they’re witnessing mass boarding of the ships.”

Hux puzzled. Where were they going? Wasn’t Exegol their whole focus?

“We CANNOT let them enter lightspeed without tracking them,” he laid down.

“This ship we’re on is the only one that can,” General Pryde inputted. 

“Then we no choice but to power through to near them. SHIELDS AT MAX!” Hux commanded. 

And the main Dreadnought bulled through upon his say.

-

Rey watched as their royal transport entered the lead Star Destroyer. While she knew that pairing with the Sith Eternal was the only way to shield themselves well enough from the First Order, she could only wonder - What new dangers awaited them from this course of action?

“Come here,” Kylo told her, their craft almost reaching its destination.

“Hm?” Rey snapped out of her musings.

Kylo took her wrist then, pressing against the skin.

“Do you trust me?” he said.

A beat passed between them; her expression irked. He was asking that _now_?

But she answered, “Of course.”

“Get me a knife,” he ordered an acolyte.

“What??” Rey gasped.

“Trust me,” he said.

And he was given a blade.

-

The Dreadnought’s barreling through the rocky field proved for a rocky flight. The rumbles made like an earthquake throughout the ship, making Lando totally lose his balance. Calrissian just barely caught his standing in his cell from it all, his leg still recovering. 

“WHAT ARE YOU DOING OUT THERE?!” he yelled throughout an unmanned prison block. “YOU BUNCH OF CRAZY FUCKS.”

This ship was huge. What the hell could cause that raucous? 

When he heard a familiar “RRRR!” blare through the hallways.

“Chewy?!” Lando shouted.

And the rush of a trooper brigade walked in. Chewy, among them, ran to Lando’s cell in cuffs, baying happily. Poe removed his own helmet then, also in Trooper attire.

“We’re here to rescue you!” the Resistance General exclaimed.

“Hot damn,” Lando proclaimed, “Took you all long enough, didn’t it?”

Chewy just went “RRRRR!” to that.

“I’m getting too old for this…,” said Lando, as they removed him from the cell. “What about the droids?”

“They’re next,” TE informed.

“Huh? Who are you?” Lando asked.

“Introductions later,” Finn explained, “We got to keep moving.”

And so they did.

-

“Empress, Emperor,” the acolytes informed them, “Enemy TIE Fighters are out on the horizon. Your orders?”

Kylo paused, his work almost finished with Rey.

Was he to fire upon his own men? Just like that?

Just a minute ago he was their very leader.

Though he had killed off the Praetorian Guard before without question…

Rey felt the conflict inside her other half.

When it hit her.

She could eliminate the First Order now if she wanted.

All there was to do was give the motion.

When Kylo caught that notion from her.

 _No_ , he sent to her, _Don’t._

 _… And why not…_ Rey replied. _They’ll keep pursuing us if we don’t._

 _They… They…_ Kylo struggled. He didn’t harbor any ill will towards the First Order. He just… needed to go.

“Fire a warning shot,” Kylo surmised to the army leader. “Keep them away from us.”

The acolyte nodded. And Rey scrunched her face. 

_Wow. So merciful now_ , she brazed.

His brows pinched in eyeing her.

 _Are you shitting me?_ he sent. _Since when are you… a warmonger?_

She gave no reply then, just watching what he was doing.

“Hurry up,” was all she said to that.

And Kylo still furrowed.

What… was with her?

But he finished his task, wrapping her wrist in a bandage.

And broke the removed tracker chip in his palm.

-

TIE Fighters converged upon the remaining Sith Eternal craft. Several of the Final Order’s vessels were already exiting through hyperspace. One by one, the Destroyers skated through the stars. 

When one among them accumulated all its energy. 

-

“Sir - they’re preparing to fire…,” spoke the trembling voice of a First Order dispatcher. 

A bead of sweat dropped down the brow of the high General there. So too did the whole crew take in the threat of the planet killer.

This could mean the end of them. 

But they couldn’t evacuate either.

If the Final Order got away, then the ultimate army would have escaped into the galaxy.

Threatening the First Order’s political stranglehold.

Leaving them open to a sneak attack in the future.

Anything and everything.

Hux’s throat tightened.

“Execute Order 92,” he put out. “On that Destroyer.”

And everyone went completely quiet.

“General,” Pryde whispered, “We... agreed that to be a final resort. That may create a larger explosion than -”

“DO IT,” the Acting Commander almost screamed out, “Or they hit us once and we’re _done_. Better they go down _with us_.”

And no one questioned him further.

The dispatcher broadcasted, “Execute Order 92…”

-

The ex-Stormtrooper gang almost crashed into each other there, hearing the loudspeaker’s bulletin.

“No…,” TE said. 

“What?” Lando inquired, now also in armor. 

Even Finn’s eye twitched from it all. A huge wind left all the Troopers.

“No time to explain,” informed one of the group. “We… just need to leave even faster.”

The gang sped up even more from that, twisting and turning through the First Order’s wings. All about them the surrounding forces scrambled to and fro. No one even paid any mind to Chewbacca out in the open.

Still, there was absolutely _no time_.

-

A Stormtrooper pilot who flew amongst Exegol breathed in deeply.

So. This was it.

This was how he would go.

His whole life he had been raised as a soldier of the First Order. He always knew he would die in battle.

Just not like this.

But so it was.

“For the glory of the Order,” he uttered.

“For the glory of the Order,” came in the echo from the rest of his squad.

They calculated their lightspeed trajectory.

And aimed for the attacking Destroyer’s main bridge.

-

“Great Dyad -” called a shocked Sith acolyte. 

Rey and Kylo beheld the strike with awe and terror. 

“Hux, you didn’t,” Kylo gagged.

But it had already happened.

The squad of Special Forces TIE Fighters ripped through hyperspace into the energizing Star Destroyer.

The giant weapon now fell. It descended. Its main wings collapsing to the ground, crushing Sith Eternal underneath it. 

All witnesses held their breath for a chain reaction. For the energies to destabilize and reel out into a planetary wide massacre.

But none came.

-

“The enemy ship has been downed,” disclosed the First Order worker, “… No further threat detected from it.”

And a giant weight lifted from their shoulders. The entire crew on deck could have cheered. No, the entire First Order, and the Resistance.

Hux breathed out.

Order 92 worked.

And with no drawbacks?

They would have to investigate that after…

But for now, Hux smiled in satisfaction.

It had certainly been a risk. But it _worked_.

He would have to thank the Resistance for the new trick.

Perhaps this situation was not so hopeless after all.

-

“Oh my!!!” shouted C-3PO. He was booted online by Chewy. “Seems I’ve gone to pieces.”

The rebel Stormtroopers occupied an evacuated computer lab now. The Wookiee was in the middle of strapping the parts of the disassembled service droid to his back when Lando chuckled. C-3PO sighed.

This always happened around Lando. 

“Wirrrr!” beeped R2-D2, dancing a jig.

“Good to see you too, buddy,” said Poe.

“Now we just have to get Rey!” Finn announced. “She will be in the maximum security sector. All we have to do is-”

“She… uh, isn’t there…,” TE interrupted.

Finn stopped in his boots. 

“What? Then where is she?” he asked. 

TE swallowed. “She’s…”

And all of the Resistance gasped upon the information. 

“You mean she’s on Exegol RIGHT NOW?!” Finn exclaimed.

“RRRR!!!” Chewy angrily roared. 

“Listen, I’m sorry!” TE said, “I knew you wouldn’t take us to the Resistance without your whole crew… but we could only leave during the chaos of battle… which would only be when she was gone… so…”

“RRRR!” Chewy angrily roared. He took up TE then, about to pull the Trooper’s arms off. 

“STOP, CHEWIE!” yelled Lando. 

And the Wookiee was tased by TE’s fellow soldiers. 

Which only made him angrier and roar louder. 

“RAARRRRR!” the Wookiee yelled, now liable to attack them all. 

When “Who goes there?!” came from an officer in the hallway. 

_Shit_ , resounded the whole gang.

They’d been noticed. 

-

The High Acolyte informed the Dyad, loss coating his tone, “Emperor, Empress… there are none of us left to board… The crashed Destroyer took the rest out…”

Kylo clenched his jaw: “Have all remaining ships warp out immediately.”

“But they _fired_ at us,” Rey scathed, “They could have _killed us_. We should fire back.”

“It will be a blood bath,” Kylo replied. “Their capabilities have been proven. Just let it go. We’ll fight another day.”

She completely growled at him:

“This is the _Sith girl_ all over again.”

And then Kylo entirely snapped, “Did you forget your FRIENDS are with the First Order _too_?!” he screamed. “We’d kill THEM AS WELL. Or is that _okay_ with you?!”

And everyone stilled.

Rey blanked.

She…

She _did_ forget.

How could she…

The Resistance.

The entire reason she was there in the first place.

Her friends, her found family.

And she had no answer for Kylo. 

Only surprise at herself.

So she walked away.

-

“Uhh…,” was all Finn could say as the hallway officer entered the computer lab’s entryway.

The agent, suffice to say, was not expecting such a scene before her.

“We’re… uh…,” TE choked. 

“What does it look like?” Poe laid out. “We’re escaping.”

And everyone glanced to him. 

“POE, WHAT THE FUCK?” Finn reeled. 

“What? Like we can talk our way out of this?”

“YEAH LIKE MAYBE WE COULD HAVE?” his partner yelled, “BUT NOT NOW.”

“Uh…,” began the officer, “… Can I come, too?” 

And everyone reeled back to the doorway.

R2-D2 squeaked.

“… WELCOME ABOARD,” Finn rejoiced.

“HEY, CAN YOU MAKE FAKE ORDERS?” TE asked. 

-

To that, Kylo reiterated: “Every ship out, immediately,”

“Yes, Emperor.”

And the Acolyte left to carry out the task. The former Supreme Leader sighed then. 

And he walked out after his other half. 

-

Kylo walked out.

Krys replayed it over and over.

He walked out on her. 

_He’s gone._

_He left me._

_He’s gone._

Not even the crashing of the Star Destroyer registered with her when it shook the earth about her.

All she could think was,

_He left me._

_He’s gone._

_He left me_.

 _He’s gone._

And so on she spiraled until unconsciousness claimed her again. 

-

TE, his troopers and officer, Finn, and his Resistance crew, now all approached the main docking area. Everywhere TIE Fighters and transporters were being dispatched. But the very first thing Chewy and Lando spotted was the _Millenium Falcon_ in the corner. Chewy was already primed to make a break for it.

When they got stopped by security -

“ _Halt_. What is the meaning of this prison transfer?” came an overseer, “We are engaged in battle. This is _not_ the time.”

But here the new escapee officer chimed in:

“Sir. They were bringing _this_ beast -” the officer motioned to Chewbacca - “to the prison, when there was the call for ‘all hands on deck.’”

“Papers?” the inquirer held. 

And the new officer handed him a datapad. 

Finn and the crew nervously waited.

When the inquirer sighed.

“Very well…,” he accepted, “We’ll need more ground crew anyway.”

The Resistance could have cheered, when the overseer continued - “Take transporter 289 - it has a prison hold in it. Keep the captives there while the Stormtroopers perform their duty.”

And Chewy and Lando deflated.

Did this mean they had to leave the _Millenium Falcon_ behind?

“Thank you, sir,” said the new recruit. There was, unfortunately, no time or excuse to argue it. They all played the part to salute the other side. 

And, walking away, Finn caught up to their new recruit.

“What’s your name, Officer?” he asked.

“Dardan,” she smiled. 

“Well Officer Dardan. Good work back there,” Finn started as they boarded the transporter, “Welcome to the Resistance.”

-

The First Order was too late.

Each of the remaining Star Destroyers sped into hyperspace before they could be tracked.

Hux cussed underneath his breath.

But he was still encouraged that they had a way to fight back. 

They had a way to take care of the situation. Perhaps. 

But for now -

Where was the Supreme Leader?

And how was…

“Sir. Ground forces have located Madam Ren.”

And Hux whirled to them: “Yes??”

But the dispatcher’s awful pause said it all. 

So all the blood drained from the General’s face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AHOOOO you KNOW the First Order learned a new trick from Amilyn Holdo! Come onnn
> 
> Thank you for reading! “TEACH ME, PLEASE” updates every Wednesday! 
> 
> Love to connect! Find me on tumblr as @KyloWithAZukoArc!


	34. Chapter 34

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Resistance asks where they should go next.  
> Rey asks what is happening to her.  
> Kylo asks what their next steps should be.   
> Hux asks what happened on Exegol.
> 
> Lots of questions!  
> Heads up there is a lot of flipping back and forth in this one.

Chewy and Lando were practically sulking.

TE pressed, “You can’t be serious…? We’ve almost escaped the First Order, and you want to risk it all for some hunk of junk?”

Chewy about stood up to strangle the trooper again, when Poe cut in - 

“Guys, GUYS,” Poe said, silencing their argument. The pilot spoke on as he readied the transport for take off, “We just have to roll with the punches, okay? We got bigger fish to fry. Like - ‘Are we going to Exegol to pick up Rey’?”

Calrissian was about to give a snarky reply, when their ship’s radio system relayed to them and the Order at large -

“Update 54: The Jedi’s tracking has gone offline.”

And the Resistance all went slack-jawed at the news.

“She was last pinpointed at a high altitude, but not registered on the Supreme Leader’s ship. We can only conclude Snoke’s killer is with the Sith Eternal’s fleet, perhaps already in lightspeed... But whether she is dead or alive has not been confirmed.”

The lot of them sputtered.

Finn splayed, “Was Rey kidnapped by Palpatine?!” 

Poe guessed, “Maybe her tracker is just broken?”

“RRRR??” said Chewy. Was she…?!

They all looked about. What could they even do?

-

Rey paced to an empty hallway, the windows showcasing warped space as it flew by. Each millisecond took them miles and miles and miles away from her loved ones.

How could she have left the Resistance behind? All the worst scenarios played in her head: Finn being executed for treason, Poe then used to draw out the Resistance - to destroy them all for good. So too the idea of Chewy becoming a trophy on the wall… even Threepio and Artoo’s memory getting wiped from their circuits. Each possibility tweaked her gut.

And it was all her fault. She could have done something. She -

When Palpatine arose in her to say:

_You left them because you didn’t need them._

_Shut up,_ she kicked back.

_They are useless to you in your new life._

_They’re my friends. My family._

_Would they still be if they saw you like this?_

And the accusation was like a knife in her chest.

 _Rey_ , Kylo called. He found her staring out to hyperspace outside, her eyes welling.

-

But Finn felt her. 

"She’s okay,” the ex-trooper said, focusing hard.

“What?” reacted Lando, “How would you know that?”

Finn looked out to the open docking bay, the forever expanse beyond it. “I’m not… sure,” he said. “I just do.”

He sighed.

“We’ll find her again…,” Finn assured. “But we need to leave. _Now_.”

The First Order’s traffic control bid for Poe’s attention for departure. They had… no more time to spare. And so with heavy hearts, they all strapped in. And Dameron shot them out of the First Order.

-

Hux impatiently waited by the med bay where they would be delivering Krys. She was the only witness to the events on Exegol, they _had_ to ascertain what happened, effective immediately. 

And he needed to know what happened to her.

But as the General waited, a worker met him with another update -

“Commander,” addressed the informant, “We’ve… We’ve received word…”

 _Oh what is it now_ , Hux kept to himself.

“In the midst of the chaos… the Resistance prisoners have… escaped.”

-

Rey wiped her eyes. 

“We should go back,” she said to Kylo, “I can’t believe I left them behind. Maybe there is still time to…”

“It’s too late,” he spoke softly. 

She bit down angrily. “So you’re fine leaving Chewy to the dogs? Without us there, they’ll kill them all for sure.”

“It’s not. Not exactly. Like that.”

She parsed his expression for answers. “What do you mean?”

He teethed his cheek.

-

The Resistance, old and new, sped quickly out from the fray of everything. If they were fast, the First Order should not notice the rogue transport gunning off until it was too late. 

“Alright… so then,” Poe settled, readying to input hyperspace coordinates, “Before we jump — Artoo, Can you disable any tracking on this thing?”

“Wooo!” R2-D2 replied, inputting his plugs to the software. 

“Great, buddy. After that, we’ll get out of here, then find the Resistance… wherever they are now...”

R2-D2 whirred to reply.

“No, no, it’s good you told them to leave. If one of us broke down and told the First Order their location, it would be over.”

“But now we don’t know where the Resistance is??” Finn inserted.

“You all weren’t given instructions as to how to find them again??” Lando criticized.

Poe was about to tear his hair out. “NO, because that would be information the First Order could rip from us, and then we’d be back to square one.”

“Things sure have changed since I left,” Lando crankily rolled his eyes.

“Look,” said Finn, “We’ll figure it out, okay? But for now, let’s just get as far away from here as possible…” 

And so Dameron jumped them to anywhere but here.

-

Hux looked over his shoulder to the relayer.

He considered.

“A little premature that the Resistance left…” Hux commented, “But finally… some good news.”

The General smiled evilly.

-

“You were going to let the Resistance go??” Rey asked.

“Well, to let them escape. It was in the plans to… to track them,” said Kylo, “back to their base.”

“You mean _that's_ why I had a tracker in me?”

Kylo sighed. Then nodded.

Rey held all the anger and fury towards her lover.

“You held them over my head. And all the while you were going to betray me…”

“You would have been safe. I’d have made sure -”

“YOU WERE GOING TO BETRAY ME.”

She cut on the reds of her sabers to her other half’s throat.

“Rey...” Kylo calmly addressed, “I’ve left the First Order behind. For you. I’ve chosen _you_. What more could I do to prove to-?”

“I want you to beg for mercy.”

Kylo’s eye twitched.

“What?” he scoffed, “… the Rey I know would never say that.”

And she hissed, the Darkness swimming.

“Maybe I’m not the Rey you know.”

And his heart shattered.

“My love,” he said, “this is Palpatine talking. This isn’t you. It isn’t.”

“IS IT?” she growled. “You know I'm, I'm not so sure anymore…” The blades continued to sizzle. “I don’t know what is me. What is him. What is the power…”

She trembled.

And a stream of tears started to fall.

“I don’t know what is happening,” she cracked out. 

Kylo just looked upon her.

And she lowered her sabers, legs crumbling.

So he closed the distance between them, holding her.

-

Hux’s mind sparked with the potential.

“Do not tail the Resistance,” he instructed, “Only keep tabs on their actions… where they go… We will deal with them in time.”

“Yes sir,” took the worker.

But then they continued: “… Sir… There is… more.”

“ _What_ ,” Hux clenched his jaw.

The reporter inwardly thanked the Maker that he wasn’t updating Kylo Ren about this. His head would be off.

“There are also unaccounted guards… We have reason to suspect that they may have helped in the escape.”

And Hux's brows furrowed horrendously.

 _More_ traitors?

But he had no time to think about it, as Krys was led in on a stretcher.

-

Kylo comforted Rey.

“It’s going to be okay,” he whispered, “I… I know what you're feeling right now.”

She sniffled, eyes opening.

“You… you do…,” she said.

“The pull between the Light and the Dark. You were right. I’ve... dealt with it for years…”

He pulled her in even closer to his chest.

“It’s awful,” he went on, “But you need to know it’s going to be alright. We’ll figure it out. Okay?”

And nothing could be better in that moment. 

And so she lifted her face to kiss him.

And he pulled her in entirely.   
  


-

Krys was completely annihilated.

Hux bit his tongue in seeing it, keeping his face stern and tight.

“Inform General Pryde about the traitors,” he told the officer, “We will look deeper into this shortly.”

“Sir.”

And Hux turned his attention back to Krys, the officer walking away to his task.

For now, there were more pressing matters. 

Like were those… lightsaber burns??

-

Kylo and Rey broke their kiss. They stared into each other, his grasp tight around her. 

_You’ll see_ , interrupted the voice in her head, _Soon, you'll see how good the power is. And you'll never need anything else again._

 _Goddammit,_ thought Kylo, _Fuck off,_ he cursed the ghost.

And Palpatine’s sadistic echoes drifted away.

-

Krys was in blackness.

_I’m nothing._

_I failed._

_He left._

_I’m weak._

_I’m nothing._

_I failed._

She thought all these things over and over, when the Sith began to come awake again.

And the first thing she saw was Hux.

“Krys,” he spoke softly, trying not to alarm her, “You’re back on the First Order. We’re treating you. You’re okay now, we’re numbing you to the pain. Stay calm.”

Stay calm?

And she looked down herself.

Med droids were servicing her arm and leg.

Which were gone.

_Gone._

And she screamed.

\- 

“Great Dyad,” addressed an acolyte, catching up to them. 

The addressed, annoyed, broke their stance, now looking to the caller.

“We are heading to the Usucar system as you instructed…,” the Acolyte reported, “But is there a planetary destination where you wished to land?”

And Rey and Kylo glanced to each other.

Right. They were in charge here. 

There was so much to be demanded of them.

But they had nothing concrete to relay.

No idea for how they would maneuver throughout all this.

They needed to plan.

-

“I’LL KILL HIM,” Krys screamed, “I’LL KILL HIM, I’LL KILL HIM, I’LL KILL HIM.”

“Krys, STOP!” Hux railed at her.

The whole wing shook, the droids tending to her wounds flew against the wall, crashing into it, crashing apart.

She screamed more and more. Bloody hell she screamed, flailing as much she could in the hospital restraints, wherefore the lighting stuttered and monitors cracked from her disturbances in the Force.

Until a nurse injected her with a sedative.   
  


-

“How long until we reach the Usucar system?” the Emperor probed.

Kylo had only picked that destination as he knew it was so low on the First Order’s priorities. But that was as far as any real thought had gone into it. 

“A few days,” answered the Acolyte.

“Well then,” Kylo answered, side-eyeing Rey, “Your Emperor and Empress have much to discuss for next steps. We will bring our… plan of attack soon. But for now…” 

Kylo thought, _How to get them off our backs?_

And Rey answered in tune, “… Go let your men rest, to celebrate a job well done.”

And the Acolyte… almost lost his balance hearing that.

They were to… celebrate?

While they had lost a ship - and their men - in the fray, they did leave Exegol as promised. Furthermore, the Dark of Palpatine never let them have time off. Such a thing was practically a foreign concept. Was this what the new ruling under the Dyad would be like?

The Acolyte bowed,

“Very good, Great Dyad,” he said, “When shall we expect your plan?”

“We will let you know,” Kylo remarked, giving Rey a squeeze. “In the meantime… prepare us a dinner. We will take it alone.”

-

Krys was woken yet again.

And yet again, her first sight was Hux. This time, he held a hand down on her shoulder.

He spoke: “Look. You’re okay. Alright? Everything is fine. Breathe.”

But she growled mercilessly.

He asked of her, “What happened?”

When at once, everything flashed in her mind. The killed parents. The pit. The red in Rey’s eyes. Kylo’s blade soaring in the air… There was so much to say. It all folded into each other.

So she just started talking.

-

Kylo and Rey were led to a private dining hall. One could only guess what exactly the Sith Eternal would have for sustenance, but it was as good an excuse as any to speak in confidence.

“Leave us for now,” instructed the Emperor to the subordinates. 

“Yes, my liege,” the attenders motioned. 

And Rey had to take it all in.

The hall was so extensive for only them to be dining. While its architecture was not given for a feeling of comfort, such a place was a far cry from her home in the AT-AT. There was so much _room_.

This is how kings and queens lived?

She cleared her throat as Kylo placed his helmet upon the table.

“Well… What _now_?” she laid to him, now alone. As he was… no longer First Order. And did this mean she was no longer Resistance? Where were they going? How would they lose the Sith Eternal? And what what might that lead to?

It just didn’t stop.

-

Hux couldn’t believe what Krys was saying.

“ _He_ did this to you?”

“The Supreme Leader betrayed me. Betrayed _us_.”

It was worse than their almighty leader being kidnapped. Or dead.

Kylo Ren… was now their enemy?

In charge of an army far greater than their own?

Knowing all their weaknesses?

“So the Jedi turned,” Hux summarized, “and he went with her?”

Krys gnashed, “ _Yes._ ”

“ _Why?_ This is entirely unprecedented.”

“Not at all,” Krys felt the ire fall from her lips, “Kylo has pulled this kind of shit before.”

“What do you mean?” the General quizzed.

Krys looked at Hux with every piece of hatred for Ben Solo. She, having kept her Master’s secrets to her chest their whole time. Out of loyalty. Out of love.

Well, not anymore.

-

Kylo sat down to a chair, hand to his temple. It was just one thing after the other here…

“Let’s just… take a moment,” he exhaled.

“Of course,” Rey said, sitting next to him.

And there, he took her hand on the tabletop. Her thumb messaged his.

A kind of air flowed back and forth between them here. One that was exhausted, worn, whipped around to extremities. Yet rejuvenating. No words need be placed here. Just breathing.

They were together now. Finally together. As two halves of one whole.

A Dyad in the Force.

-

Hux could have blown a brain vessel.

“ _Why didn’t you tell me this before??_ ”

“Why do you _think?”_ Krys hissed, “Kylo would have killed me if I had. Not that it matters anymore…”

“I knew it. I knew it, I knew it,” Hux seethed. “It had made absolutely _no_ sense that only _one_ Jedi had taken out the Praetorian Guard, Commander Ren, _and_ Snoke. _Alone_. Of course. Of course Kylo had to have been working with her. Together!”

“It gets worse,” Krys added.

Hux simply exploded, “What do you _mean ‘IT GETS WORSE’?_ ”

Krys answered in ferocity: “More than Rey having the power of Exegol. _More_ than Palpatine missing.”

“Tell me,” he breathed.

“They’re connected. Kylo and Rey. I’ve felt their power. They’re a… a…”

-

The resonation between the Dyad reminded Kylo of the last time it occurred. But to a much smaller scale.

“You know… back there…,” Kylo broke the silence, “when we faced the Snokes together. That was… the most amazing thing.”

“You… amplified me. I amplified you,” Rey remembered.

“But how, though? What exactly _is_ it?”

And Rey’s visions flashed to the forefront of her mind.

When the acolytes appeared again, now with their meal.   
  


-

Hux had to sit back down.

He shuffled his hands.

“Snoke had said something to that effect… an equal to Kylo’s Darkness, rising with him,” the General parsed. “I have no idea what that means. But clearly. It’s awful.”

“I felt them use it before. That power. On Exegol.”

Krys looked at her one good hand, the memory vibrating her soul. “It was one of the most terrifying things I have ever felt.”

-

And the Emperor felt it all. The sight of a red kyber crystal cave. The Dark of Rey… Everything that had been imparted unto her. 

“We are…,” Kylo sorted through the memories that spread throughout. “‘Two that are one’?”

“In the Force,” Rey bookended.

Their first course had sat before them for minutes now. Untouched.

Kylo thought about the Connection.

Letting it soak In. 

“I thought… it had been Snoke to do it?”

“That’s what he said. Maybe he lied? Maybe he played a part to start it?”  
  


-

“But… where does it come from?” Hux asked. “That kind of thing… doesn’t just _happen_ , does it?”

“Don’t know, don’t care,” Krys said. “Whatever it is, wherever it comes from. Either way. I’m going to kill them.”

She looked Hux in the eye. And for the first time, he saw the yellow glow for himself.

“I’m going to kill them both.”

-

_I know what it is_ , arose Palpatine, rearing his ugly head. 

And the couple immediately lost their appetite. 

_No, not again, shut up, shut up,_ Rey bristled.

_I have all the answers. All you have to do is hear me out._

_Never in a million years_ , pushed back Kylo.

And Palpatine chuckled.

_Suit yourself… Go on living in mystery. I have all the time in the world._

And he quieted again.   
  


-

Hux surveyed the girl in front of him. The words she spoke contrasted greatly with her lowly state. There were too many things he could do now. He could tremble from the evil. Could laugh at how ridiculous she was being. Or he could admire it. Perhaps even shed a tear.

In an unconscious decision, Hux brushed a lick of hair from her face with his thumb.

“You will,” he said, “ _We_ will. And we’ll take their armies for ourselves. Once and for _all_.”

And her heart utterly pounded. 

“But for now. Rest,” he ended. 

There was still much to discuss, but the medical droids advised against pushing her any further. 

Additionally, for Hux, there was plenty to address outside the hospital wing. He was still Acting Commander. The work never ceased. 

Yet… with Kylo permanently gone…

He swallowed, staring her over.

“I’ll report your account to the rest of leadership. All you need to do is get well again,” he bid, rising to his feet.

“Tchh,” she snorted.

And he had to laugh.

“Talk soon,” he bid her.

And with her a smoldering flame, he walked out of the ward. Thinking:

_The new Supreme Leader, huh_.

_Mm._

_All hail._

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!  
> “TEACH ME, PLEASE” updates every Wednesday. 
> 
> Let’s connect! Find me on Tumblr as @KyloWithAZukoArc, love to chat!


	35. Chapter 35

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emperor Kylo and Empress Rey have to work together now, but that may or may not go so smooth as they would hope.

Rey felt the haunting retreat to the darkest corners of her soul.

“Disgusting,” she expressed. Palpatine’s unholy spirit felt like dirt and grime.

Kylo gripped her hand tightly. 

“We have to take him out,” he spoke resolutely, “But how…”

Rey hoped, “Maybe the equipment back on Exegol could reverse it…?”

“The rock fall crushed everything…,” Kylo regretfully apprised.

“Fuck.”

“And… even if we did think of a way…,” he acknowledged, “the Sith Eternal won’t like it. Palpatine’s presence is the only reason they follow us now.”

“Can we get rid of him… in secret?” Rey wondered, “Any ideas?”

Kylo thought about it. 

“No fucking clue.”

“Shit…,” Rey palmed her face. “Well... We’ll have to think of _something_. And fast…”

Kylo nodded emphatically. “They’re expecting… a lot from us.”

The duo sighed. 

He followed up with, “But. We had to say what we had to say to get away from the First Order. That I don't regret.”

Rey pursed her lips. “Out of the frying pan and into the…”

“Is everything alright, Great Dyad?” interrupted a creeping servant, peeking beyond the door. “You haven't touched your meal…”

The Emperor and Empress could have stared daggers. 

“...it’s great,” dryly spun Kylo, “But we are in a private meeting. Do not disturb us any further.”

“Oh… Yes… Certainly…,” the cultist lingered.

Until, finally, awkwardly, they left. 

After a beat, Rey observed: “They’re anxious. Watching us. Waiting…”

“I would be, too, if the prophesied leaders finally came… and then hid away from everyone…”

“Palpatine promised them everything…”

Rey stared at her plate, the immensity of it all coming into view. “So. We’re going to have to act like their leaders, while simultaneously figuring out how to get rid of Sidious.”

Kylo’s mouth became a thin line. “It won’t be easy.”

“And then, after that, we’ll...,” Rey struggled, “… We’ll… We’ll…” She down turned, “I don’t know.”

The overwhelming task before them weighed down on their shoulders.

“Don’t worry,” Kylo told her. “Look, okay… let’s try this.”

“Try what?” she asked.

“Let’s meditate. We’ll quiet our minds. Recenter. See what happens.”

She found that funny. Like something that Master Leia might suggest. 

Master Leia…

No, no, she blenched. She couldn’t think about that right now.

Time to recenter. Focus.

“Okay. Let’s see what happens,” Rey agreed.

And he nodded to her. And tightened his grip.

As the twosome calmed themselves to clear their slate, Rey had one last thing to say:

“Kylo…” she whispered, eyes closed.

“Yes?”

She laid her other hand on top of theirs already interlinked.

“I just want you to know… despite everything… I’m… really happy to be with you right now.” 

And his heart beat with the most joy it had in years. He couldn’t help it, he moved over to kiss her again. The sensation of electricity followed all the way down their spines.

“I’m happy too, Rey. Really happy.” He held his forehead to hers.

And with that, the bond kicked into overdrive.

It began to reverberate.

-

Upon safely entering hyperspace, a dawning realization began to breed amongst the Stormtroopers. There was almost an edge of denial, each one of them still ready to be fired upon at any moment. But, they wouldn’t be hit. Not here. But it was just too hard to believe that… they were safe?

“Guys… we did it,” stated TE. 

His crew all looked to him there.

“We got away… Each one of us. We _did_ it.”

And, registration setting in, they all began to cheer. The troopers soon began pumping their blasters in the air; they hugged each other; they even began to strip away their armor down to the black underclothes. For the first time ever, Finn saw all of their faces. 

The glee was so infectious, even R2-D2 joined in with a little dance. Threepio reacted “Oh goodness me!!” as always.

It didn’t matter that they didn’t know where they were going. It didn’t matter they didn’t have any supplies or credits for the outside world. For just this moment, for once in their lives, they felt free. And they had each other. 

As Poe switched the controls to auto, he charged to go find Finn who celebrated with them. But Finn found him first. 

The ex-Stormtrooper pulled his bruised and beaten Captain into an ardent kiss. It was almost even sweeter than the first time they found each other again.

“You always come back,” Poe said to him, caressing his lover’s face.

“And I always will,” replied the ex-trooper. 

And they kissed again. 

Even Chewy and Lando’s sour mood was not impervious to the rejoicing. 

“Well ole pal,” Lando said to his companion, “We’re not quite done yet, are we?”

“Ahgghhh!!!” Chewy replied.

“Hahaha!” the former general chuckled. 

The Resistance and ex-troopers now began to intermingle. Some troopers assisted Chewbacca as he attempted to reassemble R2-D2, apologizing for tasing him earlier. 

“But we have Dardan now because of it!” said TE, winking at the ex-officer. She smiled shyly.

Meanwhile, as Finn and Poe caught up with each other’s stories, Lando’s driver came up to join in the mix. Dameron relayed,

“Finn! Meet Kalo’ne. You never got formally introduced… He was Lando’s driver on Pasaana. He stayed in the same prison ward as me.”

“How do you do!” said Finn, “Good to meet you officially, even though we have already gone through hell together…”

And Kalo’ne laughed at that, nodding along.

Meanwhile, Lando nursed his bum leg in the cockpit seat, having pushed it so hard to get through the First Order. R2-D2 joined him to ask if he was alright.

“Aw, I’m doing just fine, Artoo. Not dead yet, am I!” Lando played off.

And R2-D2 cheered to that.

It was practically a party, and it was a night none of them would ever forget. 

-

Meanwhile at the Final Order, the bond flowed between Rey and Kylo like currents across oceans. It carried their surface waves of sensation, and deeper on, the riptides beneath them. As they sat at the table, beneath their cool visage, an exchange of thought occurred.

What were they going to do next?

Images swam between them. Exegol. The Sith. The ancient books Kylo recovered from Snoke. The Jedi texts Rey took from the island. Between them both and their studies, their training, surely they could think of something.

When Rey had an idea.

But Kylo immediately recoiled.

“ _No_ ,” he rejected it outright. A bitterness seeped into the bond then, seemingly poisoning it.

“Wait, Kylo,” Rey reached for him, but he wouldn’t have it. He was already up and out of his seat. As he pulled his hand away, the Connection broke at once.

“I said _no_ , Rey.”

“But don’t you think that-”

“ _Luke’s island_??” he scoffed, hurt baring out, “You are really suggesting we go to where _Luke_ was?”

“But he isn’t there anymore!” she defended, “Didn’t you feel when it happened? He’s-”

“I _know_ he’s dead, and I don’t _care_ ,” Kylo hacked.

“LISTEN!” Rey shouted, “Please just think about it. Anch-To had a place where great Light and great Darkness reigned. It was central to the very _first_ Jedi. Maybe in the way that Exegol had intrinsic properties, it could have something similar to work with.”

But Kylo didn’t hear it.

“He tried to _kill_ me, Rey. You know that,” Kylo spritzed, “Then with his final words, he _humiliated_ me. I want nothing more to do with him. How could you even SUGGEST IT?”

He was yelling now. Rolls of anger wafted off of him, and Rey felt the full brunt of his outrage. In a flash, it seemed all of their good energy had entirely left the room. So quickly had the softness turned. 

But she would not take it sitting down.

“Well do you have any BRIGHT IDEAS?” she screamed back, “Because if you haven’t noticed, we are on a TIME CRUNCH here, and this is the best shot we _got_.”

She was ready for any retort he might give, any argument he might pull, when suddenly, she couldn’t feel him anymore. The Connection was not only cut, there was complete silence.

“Did you just… block me out?” Rey inquired, aghast.

But Kylo gave no response. He only stormed out the room.

“ _KYLO_!” his other half screeched after him.

Yet he was already cutting on his saber, ready to slice anything or anybody in his way. The Sith Eternal among the hallway parted for him at once, fearing for their lives.

“ _How dare you_ ,” Rey shrieked at him at the doorway. “How _dare_ you walk away from me!”

He turned the corner then, and the sound of plasma clashing against metal walls echoed throughout the hallway.

She grit her teeth, about to lay into him more, when the onlookers caught her eye. Those that worshipped them and sought them for guidance - they stared at her in dismay. Her stomach dropped.

 _Kylo_ , Rey mentally called to him, _Remember how we are practically gods to them? We have to show unity here. We’re giving a bad first impression. Please, I need you to -_

But he had truly blocked her out. The message was not received.

She spit out, completely done with it: “FINE!” She screeched, “Come back when you have some SENSE again!” And so she spun on her heels, fuming the entire way away.

-

Similarly, in the hospital ward, Krys stoked the fires in her own heart:

_I’m going to kill him._

_I’m going to kill her._

_I’m going to kill them both._

She thought these things over and over in the hospital bed. She grasped onto the anger. She held it tight. She _had_ to. Because it was her strength, her tie to the Dark Side. When Krys was angry, she was vicious. Savage. Powerful. And she _had_ to be now.

She had to become the most powerful Dark Force user in the galaxy. 

And fast.

She coaxed the Dark Side to swim within her. An undercurrent of fear pulsing within it. She worried for it to ever stop. If it ever stopped, she might succumb to weakness. She might very well… cry.

And she would never let herself be weak like that.

“We’re putting you under now,” said a nurse. “We must operate for surgery.”

But Krys did not answer them. She only repeated her mantra, over and over, as the med droids assembled over her. Hovering above her arm and leg, they sported wires and saws, microtweezers and coverings - the last things Krys saw, until the drugs slipped her into the void. Yet even in the blackness, she held the intentions to her chest:

_I’m going to kill him._

_I’m going to kill her._

_I’m going to kill them both._

She clung to the sentiment, until a familiar sense came upon her. Once again, the start of _that dream_ began to arise. That which she rejected before, which she reviled before, what confused her before. What she thought taunted her, lied to her, misguided her.

But this round, she clawed for it, the same as her anger. She fully embraced it.

 _Yes, yes,_ she thought. Reaching. Grasping. _Let it begin._ _Let it begin._

And the Dark of her emerged.

And Krys salivated.

-

Rey stomped through the halls of the Final Order, trying to rationalize her other half’s behavior. _Kylo just needs space_ , she thought. _Once he’s done with this fit, we’ll work it out. It will be fine. For sure._

But everywhere she went, cultists bowed to her at every turn. Each one a different species than the last, but all under the same spell of darkness. Some were so bold as to try to reach for her robes.

“No, stop,” she told them.

“Empress, Empress, Empress,” they murmured. “Our deliverer. Bring us to new heights. The Promised Land…”

Rey gulped, seeing the masses. What had Palpatine _done_ to these people?

“Where… do you hail from?” She paused to inquire. Where they born on Exegol? Did they migrate there?

The mixed group lit up to her question. One among them, a reptilian creature, stepped forward to give their answer:

“You honor us, Empress, with your concern…”

“What is your name?” she inquired of the Sith Eternal. 

And the crowd was completely taken aback by her ask.

“Ssark,” the member answered, bowing with reverence to be seen. “It is an honor.”

“Speak,” she commanded.

“Long ago…,” Ssark obeyed, “our ancestors ventured to Exegol… the Darkness calling to them from far and wide. And we are their children.”

The horde nodded emphatically to the information.

Rey thought, _This had been their whole lives? Preparing for this day?_

Their eyes positively shined. And she felt like she needed to hurl.

“Wonderful,” she swallowed with difficulty. “Please, go on to your festivities. I must attend to business now.”

And a wave of excitement flooded them all. They began to chant in the Sith language as they parted for their Empress. And Rey raced to find a space to be alone.

She bypassed the cult, now turning a corner from a gaggle of them. But when she did, something odd began to happen.

The dark walls of her surroundings seemed to fade. A few steps into a new passageway, and her path seemed open straight into outer space. She stopped short in shock.

“What… is this?!” she gasped to herself, looking every which way through starlight. “What is happening…”

And that creeping, abominable, gruesome laughter resounded once more. Immediately, the spite spiked within her.

“Stop this,” she growled out, “What are you trying to _do_ here?”

“You seek answers… do you not?” Palpatine emerged from the darkness. “And I… have them.”

“We don’t need anything from you,” Rey sliced through the vision.

“Mmm… all that power you have… and you don’t know where it comes from… or what to do with it.”

“We’re going to crush YOU, _that’s_ what we are going to do with it.”

Palpatine chuffed.

“What a waste. Imagine the possibilities. All of its abilities… The domination you could reign...”

Rey had to bite back the red in her. “We… aren’t all like you…”

The dark god chuckled.

“Wasn’t it incredible, though?” he circled around her. “And you harnessed it without even trying! Think what more you could do with it…”

Rey chose her words carefully here. “… You… You want it so badly… What exactly do you think _is_ possible?”

And Palpatine’s eyes went wild.

“Near _limitless_ potential,” he washed, “As one grows in power… the other shares in it. And now, with the power of Exegol in you… Kylo will begin to grow just as strong…”

Rey hitched.

What the fuck.

 _Two_ of them together, with that exponential energy? That was… so much. She didn’t ask for this.

And yet, despite herself… the red in her pupils tinged awake.

“How…,” she looked away, “Where… Where does it… come from?”

And Palpatine smiled in horrible glee.

-

Kylo caught his breath. With the whole of the walkway glowing in melted alloy, he finally started on his come down. The memory of Luke had always been a short fuse for him, but the worst part was that Rey knew that. 

_How could she bring it up like it was nothing?_ He riled internally, _How could she._

But then he felt the eyes of worshippers on him. They peeked around the corner, hoping to catch a glance of their Emperor in action. 

_Shit_ , he reacted. He sensed both their awe and their worry. This could look bad. 

But Kylo knew that the cultists sought the Dark side which he used so freely. This could be a teaching opportunity. 

So Kylo turned about, ready to play into the theatrics. 

“That’s what happens to anyone who crosses the Dyad,” he threatened. “You would do well do never displease us.” 

And the cultists emitted airs of terror, yet also in revery. Across the board, their horror mixed with adoration on their faces.

It reminded him of Krys. How she always reacted to him.

Krys.

_Fuck_ , he kept inside. 

_Fuck._

He… betrayed her after all. He broke his promise. And he hurt her. Horribly. Leaving her half dead. There would be nothing he could do to repair that. Even if they ever saw each other again, he could never apologize enough. And she would never forgive him… if she was still alive.

The guilt gripped him. Much the same way as it had when he destroyed Han.

It was ironic. As he stood there, his spirit split, the cultists bowed to him for his absolute Darkness.

He sighed. Once again, he had to return to playing a role. 

“Now…,” he said, assuming again the presence of an Emperor, “Where did my Empress go?”

“Sire…,” one of them came to the front, “You must come quickly. The Empress, she has… collapsed.”

And Kylo’s heart totally fell to the floor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Are you all ready for another dream sequence!? They are my favorite.
> 
> Thanks all for reading. "TEACH ME, PLEASE" updates every Wednesday.  
> Let's connect! Find me on tumblr as @KyloWithAZuko arc! I love chatting with readers, it's the best.


	36. Chapter 36

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> CW: Heavy implication of past abuse and trauma response. 
> 
> Rey has unfinished business on Jakku. Will Palpatine successfully tempt her to the Dark Side?  
> Meanwhile, Krys embraces her Dark entirely, as Hux and Kylo seek solutions to their separate problems.

Kylo raced to follow the cultists leading him. 

_I left her alone - How could I have been so stupid_ , he cursed himself. _Rey. Rey!_ he beckoned. The Emperor fully opened himself to the Connection. But she did not reply. He felt nothing of her, only something like ice. And mire. Or a wall. The idea of a shield hit him, as if she was blocking him back. Except it was all wrong, the aura was nothing like hers.

-

Palpatine stood silhouetted against the rays of a sun. As he gazed upon the Empress, the celestial body behind him started to collapse, imploding until there was only emptiness. It caved into a vacuous point that pulled in all its light.

He gave a slow nod to Rey as she listened to him now. He imparted it all:

“The _Dyad_ …,” he spoke of it in greed, “It was a prophesy that my master, and his master before him, had found. What a Force bond could do...”

He glided to a set of binary stars circling each around other, the pair ceaselessly spiraling until it would seem all of existence might end.

“It followed the Rule of Two…,” Palpatine explained, “Truly… in my master and I’s time together, we tried to create one. But…,” he observed the astral dance hungrily, “making an artificial bond did not work.”

“So you failed,” Rey burned in. If there was something she could say to take the god a peg down, she would do it. He merely puffed and waved it off.

“But you and Kylo…,” Palpatine noted, “You share one naturally. Your soul speaks to his. His blood sings to yours. The midiclorians… A one in a million chance… they resonate with each other.”

The two stars kept revolving about, at a point almost crashing, and another point spinning so fast that they could have shot away into the vast of heaven. But it never happened; they stayed together.

Rey processed this. _So… that’s why_ _Sidious_ _wanted to live on in me,_ she put together _, because of my… blood…_

“The last of the Light,” Palpatine finished. 

She shivered, having been read completely. 

“ _Well_ ,” the Empress tackled, “Great job, you gave me all this information for _nothing_. We’re never going to do anything you say.”

“Mm… let me show you something,” Palpatine said.

And without warning, suddenly the systems around them flew by so fast the dots turned to streaks. Planets came and went. Comets appeared and whisked off like they were never there at all. Before long, the two Sith had reached a new endless landscape. But not one of darkness, instead of continuous sand and sunlight. 

Rey lurched. “ _Jakku_.” 

She felt excavated. Palpatine had dredged it up from inside of her without her knowing

“No. Not here. Not this,” she rejected. “Why are you showing me this??”

“A little exercise,” Palpatine hummed.

When out of nowhere, the giant junkboss that ruled the town of Niima Outpost appeared in front of her. His putrid smell and vicious anger was uncut. The Crolute yelled against her. 

She flinched. 

It was unusual. Though she was more than strong enough to take him down now, the same fright of a child still freaked in her.

“ _Stop_ ,” she begged Sidious. She wrenched herself to wake up. To push out of the vision. But it was futile. “Why, why are you doing this?!”

“You have unfinished business…,” the dark god unraveled, “I am curious... what would you do if you saw Unkar Plutt again?

-

Kylo found his Empress on a stretcher, the Acolytes hurriedly rushing her to their medical bay. 

“Rey, REY!” he called. But there was no response. The Acolytes running with him trembled. 

“Forgive us, Emperor, forgive us.”

“What _happened_?!” Kylo demanded. 

“We think it side effects from the chamber...,” they abashedly admitted, “Forgive us. We’ll recover the Empress at once!”

But when they reached their destination, Kylo duly examined her. 

She was gone, alright. But from what he could surmise, she was only hidden away. Something caged her consciousness.

 _Palpatine_ , he swore the name in his mind. _Of course. Every time_.

-

Rey shuffled. The ogre before her did not move any closer. He only repeated the obscenities she heard so often as a youngling. Somehow, they still had power over her. 

“What do you mean…,” Rey dug at Sidious, “I never want to see his ugly face again.”

“What does he deserve?” Palpatine led. 

“This is another trick,” Rey laid.

“It is not _real_ ,” Palpatine stated, “Only memories here. There is no harm to entertain hypotheticals.”

And then Rey felt the cold metal of sabers in her palm.

-

Krys inhaled it coming on. The blades. The swamp. The Dyad. The Dark of her.

The reveling.

She near panted for it. Until she saw his face. 

All it took was to see Kylo’s form again. And it crumbled her instantly. Against her wishes, Krys’ heart was shredded once more. The fires she prodded turned to dams that might break.

 _No_ , she retained herself. _Do not break. Do not break._

 _Do you understand now?_ addressed the Dark of her. The Dyad appeared frozen in time, panic on their faces etched in like stone. The dark spirit aimed her sabers to their chests. Krys couldn't look away. 

“How could he…,” Krys nursed, “How could be… do this to me…” 

She eyed nearer now the Dark of her. In peering in, Krys saw it firsthand. Some of the phantom’s limbs weren’t human. They were… They were…

Krys tried to push down the pain. She reached for the rage, begged for it to return. But in this domain, there was only heartbreak. She kept herself by a thin string.

The Dark of her repeated: _Do you understand now?_

The blades sizzled standing by. The mirage of Kylo and Rey steadied in the terror.

A hot tear fell down Krys’ face. 

“Yes,” her spirit singed. “I understand now. I understand completely.”

 _Good_ , the Dark of her replied.

And it began their work.

-

“ _No_ ,” Rey refused, catching on to his plan, “I’m not going to-”

“Mm,” Palpatine interrupted, “Have you forgotten all the things Plutt has done to you?”

And Sidious uprooted her bruises, the cuts, the blood. Without her say, the terrors that came at night returned. So too the anxiety from the hot desert days. The pangs of starvation, the burns of the sky. Each nightmare, misery, torture. It was all too gruesome to say. Every remembrance hit worse than the last.

“No, stop, _please_ ,” Rey nigh cried now.

“Did you forget?” Sidious egged on.

“ _I can never forget_ ,” she blazed. 

Unkar shouted, “You little wretch! Lazy rat! Giving me so many excuses. Get back to work, or there’s more where _that_ came from!”

It trembled her bones and made the air in her lungs go cold.

Palpatine contemplated, “Your pain… I feel it all. Such anger… Hatred… and now… Wouldn’t you say that he deserves to suffer?”

The tears fell. “He… deserves to suffer…,” Rey repeated. 

“Yes… the way that you have suffered,” Sidious trailed.

“… the way I have suffered…”

Rey met the Crolute’s eyeline.

And the sabers spun alive in her hand.

-

The Dyad fell.

Krys watched unblinkingly as the Dark of her shoved the blades into the lovers’ torsos. All at once, an exodus of life force exploded out. The disturbance of the Connection snapping was better than any drug imaginable. The duo hit the ground with such satisfying _thuds_ , and the phantom pulled the blades from the bodies. Standing over the death, the carnage, the fucking bastards, the Dark of Krys cackled.

But Krys herself still only stared. Her muscles locked. Vision fixed. 

“Again,” she said. The miasma fogged. “ _Again._ ”

-

The terror in Unkar Plutt’s eyes was so familiar. Rey had felt it so many times herself. He held his hands out in defense the same way she had. He shrunk to the floor the same way she had. He cried out -

“NO!!”

\- the same way she had. 

And he burned the same way she had.

Rey sliced her sabers through Unkar Plutt. She started with his arms, then his legs, then his belly, then his neck, his head, his chest. And once she started, she could hardly stop. And the more Unkar Plutt screamed, the harder she swung.

The same way he had.

As Rey surveyed the pieces of his obliteration, she fought to catch herself. Her heart beat so wildly, so ferociously. She thought it may never simmer.

But before she could think anything more, she heard the words so quickly leaving her lips:

“Again.”

-

The Dark of Krys smiled in evil. And with but a wave of her hand, the scene reset. And though Krys had seen this same play dozens, hundreds, _thousands_ of iterations before, it was like witnessing it for the very first time. She was a young girl again - entirely overcome by the sight, the power, the destruction. The Dark Side.

“Again,” Krys repeated.

“ _Again.”_

-

Palpatine’s rotten teeth showed in full form. In but a snap, Unkar Plutt was standing again, riling against her again, then alarmed again, then screaming again, then begging again, then dead in the same hole again.

“ _Again_ ,” Rey demanded.

“ _Again._ ”

-

“ _Again_ ,” Krys commanded.

-

“Again.”

-

“Again.”

-

“Again.”

-

“Again.”

-

“AGAIN!”

-

“AGAIN!”

-

The girls screamed for the demise. Extermination. Retribution. Malevolence. They needed it, they craved it, required it. There was nothing else for them now.

And the Dark spirits gave them every single bite.

-

Kylo never left Rey’s side. He speared his energy to reach her spirit, but no matter how much he focused, raged, or meditated, the blockade remained firm. He tried again and again to reach her soul with his, yet nothing changed. Palpatine had totally bricked him out.

“Emperor…,” the Acolytes worried for their lives, seeing his incitation, “We’ve… We’ve tried to reconstitute what we can, but our best technology was back on Exegol. Please… have mercy…”

Kylo growled in utter frustration. Though he knew the real cause was nothing to their work, it barely mattered. He held the messenger’s throat in the Force. Kylo almost crushed them right in front of the rest of the medical examiners, when a piece of light hit him.

A flash of recollection lit. A way that could fix this. Potentially. He wasn’t sure. But he had to try.

And so he sighed. Because it was the last thing he wanted to do. Especially after their last bout. Although… if it meant Rey may be able to wake up…

“Set course back to the Unknown Regions,” he relayed in defeat, lowering the messenger down. As he spoke, the messenger gasped for breath on their knees. Kylo declared, “We are going to Ahch-To.”

-

It was late. It was so, _so_ late. Hux figured he had gone three days without sleep at this point. And while he could continue to work if he so desired, by now there was mostly just research to wait on from ground forces below. If there was ever an opportunity to slow down from the mayhem, it was now. 

And though, given the chance, he could virtually collapse at any second, Hux oddly found himself not immediately retreating to his room. No; inexplicably, and unthinkingly, Hux opened his eyes to find himself by Krys’ side. 

“Krys,” he breathed out.

She lied in front of him, bandaged and needled up. The induced sleep still stretched on. Despite her dreaming nature, Krys somehow still seemed annoyed. It made him smile in repose.

 _God_ , he thought to himself, _What I going to do with you._

And, despite every cruelty in him, he discovered himself touching her new hand.

“Hey,” he whispered out alone in the room, “You owe Millicent an apology.” His index finger traced abstract designs. “You didn’t come back in one piece.”

Krys sat unnoticing the poor joke. So he humorlessly huffed to himself.

“General,” came a call from the hallway. Hux tiredly glanced over to see General Pryde in the doorframe. The counterpart said: “We need to talk.”

Hux snorted out his nose. With one last look at Krys, he stood to his feet.

“You’re right. We do,” he listlessly agreed. Truly, just when he thought he could rest, there was always more to tend to. “Let’s go to my office.”

And so the generals relocated themselves. Hux’s private workroom showcased a mathematically balanced arrangement, the perfect composition of medals and awards next to war trophies, with a desk kept in precise and minimalist order. 

He sat behind the workstation as Pryde joined him at the guest chair. And Pryde, as one for efficiency, cut right to the chase: 

“We need to eliminate Krys.”

Hux took a breath to rejoin his faculties. Then he ordered cups of caff for them both. This was going to be another long meeting. 

“This is your solution, then?” Hux turned.

“With Kylo gone, she is next in line for Supreme Leader,” Pryde stated, “But with her incapacitated, now is the time to wipe her from the board.”

Hux tapped his fingers on the table. 

“She does not have the qualifications to lead, we all know that,” Hux acknowledged, “She’s only been here a year. But you underestimate her usefulness.”

Pryde shifted a brow. “Interesting, Hux... I thought you would be the first to try dismantling her. As High General, you are -”

“I know. _I know_.” Hux clenched his fist. The only thing that stood between him and the throne now was Krys. And it would be so easy to take her out right now. 

And yet. 

“How can we trust her?” Pryde pushed. He spoke out of long imperial experience. “Darth Vader betrayed The Empire by destroying Palpatine - then Palpatine betrayed us with the Final Order - and now Kylo has too. These Dark Force Users… What’s to stop Krys from following suit in the future?”

The caff, finally delivered by a service droid, was taken up readily by Hux. His temples throbbed in gulping it down.

“Well tell me this,” Hux brazed, “What’s your plan to destroy this so called ‘ _Dyad_ ’ without her?”

And Pryde fumbled. “Well. We.” He coughed. “We destroy them in their ship with a large scale attack.”

 _“_ Destroy the leader ship that runs point on all the others?” Hux raised. 

Pryde frowned and reached for his own mug.

“ _Look_ ,” Hux cemented, “You make a valid point about Force Users. But only Sith can take out Sith. You want a plan for what to do with her? Here is my proposal...”

And Pryde and Hux hashed their plot out for the rest of the night. 

-

When the girls finally ceased their mutual eradication, the Dark Side calming within them, their mentors nodded on.

-

“Good… gooood,” Palpatine complimented, “Tell me, Rey. How… does it feel?”

Rey examined herself, the flames of her turning to small embers. She evaluated.

“It feels… …. amazing,” she answered, staring at her hand.

And Palpatine murmured in delight.

-

Krys finally got all her air. With the final blows dealt, it was now all she desired in all the world.

 _Now it is up to you_ , said the Dark of her.

And Krys’ head shot up to peer at the murderous mirage. The Dark spoke on:

_This will be our final visit to you._

And Krys flinched, “What?”

 _You know what it is you must do,_ it said, _Now go do it._

When Krys’ stomach suddenly dropped. Reality sunk in.

She had to become the Dyad Killer. But… last time she went against Kylo and Rey, they almost killed her. And with every passing day the Dyad would only grow stronger… to such an outrageous rate… How could she…

“How do I defeat them?” Krys gulped, “How do I get to that point?”

But the Dark of her did not answer. It only began to disappear.

“No—-! Wait! WAIT!” Krys lunged.

But there was nothing left to cling to. 

The swamp and the bodies and the spirit decomposed to blackness.

And once again, Krys was falling.

Falling, falling.  
  


Until she woke up. 

-

And Rey woke up.

Rey slowly began to register her surroundings to a place of corrupt science and experimentation. It would have unnerved her, had she not also spotted Kylo resting by her side.   
  


-

Next to Krys, a med droid announced, “Patient 978901 is conscious.”

-

“The Empress has awoken,” said an Acolyte.

Kylo jumpstarted from the news. Dark circles shadowed his eyes as he looked upon his Empress in earnest.

“Rey,” he scratched out.

“Kylo…?” she bled.

And he held her. Dear god, he held her.

-

When Krys awoke, there were only the nurses on staff and med droids. And the needles. Always the needles. 

She felt a terrible sense of deja-vu. Only a year ago had she woken in this same state, restrained and injected, suffering from the same kind of attack. Back when… she had first been named Apprentice.

But this round, she contemplated, this round declared the end of it.

And something else felt very different. 

Krys strained her eyeballs to gaze down her body to the source. 

Whereupon new metalcraft greeted her sight, joined at her arm and leg.

-

Kylo had never held Rey so tight. 

“You’re awake. You’re awake, thank god,” he expressed. 

“What… happened?” Rey struggled.

Kylo pulled back to speak.

“You were out… for a week.”

“A WEEK?” she released.

“You were gone. I couldn’t get to you… We feared for the worst.”

She caressed his face, his concern melting the ice in her soul.

“Kylo, Kylo,” she said.

And he hugged her again.

-

Back at the First Order, meanwhile, Hux was informed of Krys’ awakening. He was mid-meeting upon receiving the news, but it didn’t matter. Hux darted to her straight away.

“Krys,” he said in seeing her.

He’d arrived in the middle of the droids removing the bacta infusers. A nurse said,

“General. The Madam has… recovered remarkably quickly. I’d say… unnaturally so.”

Yellow flashed in Krys’ eyes as she studied her metal hand. She opened and closed it, taking in new the sensations of the prosthetic. 

She had to work with this now. On top of everything else…

Then she looked to Hux. And in the dryest voice she asked: 

“What did I miss.”

-

Kylo and Rey could feel it: The Connection, it re-established. Almost like static clearing, their frequencies synced back up. Kylo relayed with his mind, 

_We’re almost to Ahch-To._

_What??_ came her disbelief. _How did you… I thought you didn’t…_

 _You’re right. I didn’t…_ he followed her train of thought. _I’d gotten its location from R2-D2 before all this happened. If going there meant we could recover you… well, there was no question._

Rey smiled sweetly, a warmth blossoming in her.

 _I’m… sorry,_ she told her lover, _I know what… he,_ _Luke, meant for you. I should have been kinder about it._

Kylo took a second to process that. She was… sorry? Had they ever apologized to each other, ever? He rubbed her shoulder. _Well…_ , Kylo started, _Because I stormed off, Palpatine pulled you under. So this was all my fault._

 _We’ll… get better about working together_ , Rey offered.

And Kylo smiled. Then turned deadly serious,

_What did he do to you, when you were gone?_

And the red in Rey bubbled up from her chest.

 _… Well…_ , she began, _I know we are going to Ahch-To, but…_

 _But what?_ Kylo tested.

The violence reared to the surface. Something like fangs showed in her.

I _want Jakku first._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, yes indeed Palpatine will tempt her, definitely. 
> 
> THANKS FOR READING!   
> “TEACH ME, PLEASE” uploads every Wednesday. 
> 
> I’m on Twitter now as @KyloWithZukoArc! (No “a,” it wouldn’t fit...)  
> Message me and I’ll follow you back!!❤️


	37. Chapter 37

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey's yearning for revenge has been awakened. How will Kylo react to it?  
> She and Krys have been out for the past week. What was everyone else's week like?   
> Especially the Resistance...

Kylo quizzically stared at his Empress. Jakku? She wanted to go to _Jakku_? That was the last thing he would have ever thought to gleam from her. 

As the medical personnel examined the Empress for physical abnormalities, so too Kylo parsed the condition of Rey’s heart. He held his gaze with hers, him looking deep into his Empress. In peering inside, he felt the revenge within. The same way he had seen her loneliness in the interrogation chair so long ago.

And the Darkness... that which he had come to know from Exegol’s power in her - it had changed. The quality of it now felt much more like… her own.

And worry hit him. When Rey had left, she was geared towards ridding Palpatine as soon as possible. But since she had gone under… something was different. She emerged from her coma like a cocoon. Now, Dark wings fluttered.

 _Why Jakku?_ Kylo asked her through the bond.

And Rey… had no real good explanation. What string of words could she use to describe all that happened? The best way she had was to invite him in -

_Read me._

So Kylo heaved a breath. He had been trying to, constantly, over the past week to do just that, tune into her. But now that the Connection was aligned again… He mentally re-centered to attempt once more.

And the brutality laid him asunder.

It was like he was there for it. He dreamed her dream. As Palpatine led her on through the carnage, Kylo was the one swinging the saber. Her feelings sunk into him, replaying the satisfaction, the insatiability, the hatred. With every iteration he only delved deeper into the deluge.

And his reaction alike reversed into her. But what he gave off was the last thing she expected to recieve -

Sadness.

Sadness as he tore into Unkar Plutt. Sadness as Palpatine egged him on to continue the barrage. 

It was just all so familiar.

As Kylo held her red sabers, Rey blinked to find herself holding blue. But the blue saber was not hers; it did not belong to Luke, nor to Leia. She knew this immediately.

No, somehow, it was Kylo’s.

Before it bled.

As Kylo saw the Jakku sun beating down all around him, Rey now took in the dark of night falling, and fire. So much fire. It burned all around her, with grandiose architecture falling to it.

It played in her mind as if she was the one to recall it -

 _The night Luke’s temple fell_ , she realized.

And a terrible echo came along with it: “ _Ahaha, yessss, Ben Solo. Yesss._ ” 

Rey’s gut lurched. _Snoke’s voice_. No. No, Snoke was dead. This was just a memory, it was just a memory.

But because it was a memory, she couldn’t change it. She couldn’t change course as the blue saber slaughtered all those around her.

She knew all the victims’ names, too. Hennix. Tai. Voe... The recognition came to her as though she had been the one to grow up with them. Train with them. Befriend them.

“ _You’ve done so well_ ,” Snoke told Kylo - told _her_ \- the desecration lying at her feet, “ _Now, come. It is time to rise._ ”

And Kylo and Rey pulled out from each other. It was all too much, they had to now.

The medical examiners stepped back from the duo, the sensors ringing off the charters from the Force activity. 

“Sire - M’Lady -,” the doctors feared, “Are you alright? Are you—?”

“ _Leave_ ,” commanded Kylo, his hand holding his forehead. Rey and him both panted to catch their breath. 

“Emperor… the vitals. It may do best if we-”

“I said LEAVE,” Kylo Ren railed.

And the Sith Eternal fled. In not but two seconds later, Rey and Kylo were left entirely alone, as the desert sun and temple’s fire still smoldered within them. 

-

As the Dyad had recounted their tales to each other, so too Hux regaled his own to Krys. Another briefing had been called for the leadership of the First Order. The General now escorted Krys to it, giving any details beforehand that would be helpful for context.

But as the two of them walked the halls of the ship, Hux could not help but notice Krys’ clumsiness with the new leg. She limped somewhat as she listened on.

“Easy,” he said to her, sidelining his story, “Here.”

And Hux offered his arm.

She looked at it. Then looked at him in disgust.

“I don’t need it,” Krys said.

And then promptly tripped.

But before she hit the ground, she felt arms around her. Her entire being clutched from the touch.

As Hux pulled her back to her feet, embarrassment flooded her. Crimson colored her face, and she stubbornly did not meet his gaze. She waited for the typical Hux attitude, bracing for his “ _I told you so_.”

But it never came.

Instead, he only cleared his throat and resumed his previous report:

“Where was I… ah yes. So, we have been unable to locate the Sith Eternal, but they have been quiet so far, not made any moves. So it is safe to say that…”

And so forth the General prattled. And together they ambled along, she silently holding onto his arm without another mention.

-

Meanwhile, with the ex-Troopers and Resistance, _their_ past week had just been about surviving. With nothing to go on but whatever was nearby, the escapees had settled temporarily on a forested planet. They didn’t even know the name of it, as their travels still remained within the bounds of the Unknown Regions. Chewy led the charge on keeping them fed with whatever they could hunt, as Poe and Finn wracked their brains for some measure of a plan to find where the new base might be. 

As the group sat around a campfire, roasting game over an open flame, Poe brainstormed with his partner in crime:

“You know, we don’t really need to find the new Resistance base…,” Poe stated, “We just need to find someone who is still in touch with them, and then get their intel.”

“WAIT!” Finn jumped up, surprising C-3PO. The droid nearly fell into the firepit from the jubilation. “I GOT IT!” Finn shouted.

“You got it??” said Poe, nearly rising up with him.

“You got it??” echoed the ex-troopers. They had not been particularly happy with the venture so far, not exactly used to living in the great outdoors. 

“Don’t worry, I’m COMPELTELY fine,” said Threepio, only a little singed from the embers. “Nobody need worry about little old me.”

And so they didn’t.

“MAZ!” Finn exclaimed. “We need to find Maz!”

“Who’s that?” TE inquired, sitting by Dardan as she munched on the meager meat of a small bird.

“Maz runs a base for smugglers,” Finn explained. “Or, well… she did.”

“It got destroyed by, uh… certain people,” Poe hinted. 

“Sure did…,” Lando squinted.

“Hey, none of _us_ were there for that one,” an ex-Trooper informed. “Don’t blame us.”

“So… where is she now?” TE asked. 

“Uh… not sure…,” Finn shrugged, “Last we spoke, there was a bit of a _union dispute_ she was going through.”

“Well, we know all about that,” Dardan humored. 

TE laughed at the ex-officers’ joke. Perhaps too hard. “Okay… well, do we know anyone who know this person who knows the Resistance?”

And the lightbulb went off in Poe’s brain.

Likewise in Finn’s, though he was not nearly as excited as his partner.

“Technically… there is someone we could talk to,” Finn confirmed, a red plom bloom appearing in thoughts, “… but…”

“But what?” Lando decried.

The destruction of Canto Bight played through Finn’s skull then. Him running through the streets with Rose on the back of a fathier. After they had escaped their prison hold, no less.

“Let’s just say we crashed a party, and we aren’t invited back.”

-

The Dyad took in the emptiness. The monitors slowly quieted as they themselves also simmered down. Depressiveness returned to Kylo and his voice as he stood to his feet. He paced away from his Empress.

Rey bid, “I’m sorry I saw that…” She swallowed. _That must have been the night Luke meant to kill him…_ she put together, _The night Ben burned the temple…_

“It’s… fine,” Kylo shut his eyes tight. “It’s fine...” He morosely pondered, “The real problem is… that it’s happening again.”

Rey had to look away, shame coloring her visage. “I heard Sidious out… It’s my fault.”

Kylo spun back around. “No. Palpatine baited you. Cornered you,” he excused her, “It’s what he does. He takes your pain and twists it for his own good.”

“And I know that... But that’s just it. I _knew_ his ploy and I _still_ fell for it.” Rey laid her hands in her face. “No… That’s not the worst part.”

“What’s the worst part?” Kylo asked.

Yet again, angry tears began to form from her. “The worst part is, Kylo… I still want it. I want to do it. I… want to kill Unkar Plutt.” 

-

Krys and Hux now placed themselves at the First Order conference table, the Supreme Leader’s chair sitting noticeably empty. She could barely stand to see it at all.

So for now, Krys buried the feelings as General Pryde led the meeting this round.

Suffice to say, the First Order had been _busy_ for the past week. To put it lightly.

“First on the docket,” General Pryde began his briefing, “Our researchers were successful in uncovering the source of stability for the Star Destroyers. Through examining its schematics, they encountered extra security measures for radical decompression of power climbs.”

“Meaning… Palpatine finally fixed his Death Star flaw,” Hux snidely whispered to Krys.

“Third time is the charm,” she jabbed back.

Pryde cleared his throat: “With this _information_ … Normally one would propose a disposable droid army to fly kamikaze strikes, or to build a fleet of auto-pilot ships with hyperspace capabilities. However, that would take years of production, which we simply do not have.”

“You propose…,” a fellow veteran followed Pryde’s thoughts, “that we throw waves and waves of Stormtrooper Pilots at them instead?”

“That is correct.”

A series of hushed commentary, nods, and head shaking all circulated through the conference table.

When Krys cut in,

“Hux has informed me that a group of guards disappeared with the Resistance captives…” Pryde had to contain his disgust for her as she spoke. “While it _was_ in the original plan to let them escape, that we may track them… I sense a major problem brewing within our army. Ordering a mass suicide would only exacerbate it.”

“This insubordination must be quelled,” Hux affirmed.

“Of course…,” Pryde politely agreed, “Which is why every pilot with a single offense in their history will be utilized in this venture. Any history of disobedience will result in… _noble sacrifice_. If a Trooper has no strikes? Well then, the reward is to keep on living and serving the cause.”

Hux and Krys looked to each other for a review. At that, they found the concept agreeable and gestured as such.

“Very good, Pryde,” Hux complimented, “Are there more notes for this plan?”

“Yes, well…,” Pryde gave a side eye, “Details aside, this brings us to my next point: For deciding to go forward… normally Kylo Ren would be the one to sign off on the plan. But circumstances being as they are…”

And the entirety of the conference table turned towards Krys. Including Hux.

A moment passed as she slowly caught on to their meaning.

Oh.

Oh fuck.

 _OH FUCK_ , she thought.

She had been so focused on destroying the former Supreme Leader, she hadn’t even thought to think of who would be filling his position.

She completely froze in her chair. She… had to lead now?

It was up to her?

 _Shit_ , she thought. Her blood ran cold.

-

Kylo came to sit by Rey’s bedside, placing a hand on her shoulder as she wrestled with her anger.

“I… understand,” Kylo said, “It’s… exactly how I felt about Luke. Night and day, all you want to do is see the bastard torn to shreds. For everything he did to you. I get it.”

Rey looked up to her lover. It was so… strange. For so long they had been on the opposite sides of battle. Fighting, tearing at each other, many times trying to kill one other. Yet here she found, with every new stone they unturned, more and more arose that they had in common.

She asked him, “What should I do?”

“Well, we…,” Kylo started, before he was interrupted.

Beyond the doorway, a loud chanting had begun. It morphed and changed between the chorus they had heard in first confronting Palpatine, to scattered howls and phrases for the Emperor and Empress. There was stomping, clapping, even distant knockings against the door. But it did not all sound… entirely cheerful.

And Rey sighed terribly. 

“There’s no time…,” she told herself.

“It’s been like this everyday since you went under,” Kylo relayed. “A lot has happened, actually.”

“What, like what?” Rey gasped.

“You…,” Kylo sighed, “It would be easiest if you read me, too.”

And her stomach dropped. Immediately, Rey went to catch up to speed.

-

“I… I,” Krys stuttered; the absolute weight of the entire First Order beared down on her. What was she to say here? “… I’ve only been here… a _year_ ,” she squeaked out.

“Indeed you have…,” General Pryde commented, keeping his poison to himself. “We have a solution for that, however… You see, you _are_ Supreme Leader in name, but for now, it has been agreed upon that General Hux will continue on as Acting Commander. He will do so indefinitely, until you are fit for leadership.”

Krys breathed out. And she looked at Hux, wide eyed, like to a lifeline, still starkly paralyzed.

“I’ll teach you,” he said to her. And smiled.

-

As Rey reached into Kylo, he called to the forefront a moment from a couple days ago. Therein, his full attention had been on pulling Rey from Palpatine’s grasp. Kylo had cursed under his breath, another attempt failed, when Ssark the Acolyte approached him - 

“Great Emperor…,” Ssark nervously addressed him, “Permission to speak.” 

“What is it,” Kylo responded through clenched teeth. 

“Sire… the people are…,” the Acolyte’s voice shook, praying to not incur his leader’s wrath, “Well you see, we lost a ship on the homeworld… as well as a portion of our men. An unprecedented loss…,” Ssark continued, not yet having been sliced in half, “And... with the Empress being in the condition that she is…” 

Kylo stiffened, knowing where this was going.

“… the people need a statement,” Ssark spoke, “They need to hear from you.” 

Kylo felt queasy. General Hux had always been the one to perform public relations work throughout the Order. Kylo Ren himself rarely, if ever, had to make appearances or speeches. 

But so it was. The Dyad had meant to formulate what to do about the cultist army, but with how things had played out, Ren now had to face it head on by himself. 

He crackled his shoulders back. He messily rattled through what he could possibly say. What were even the next steps? And how could he ever spin it in such a way that sounded totally in control? 

Ready or not, it was time to be the Emperor. 

“Bring a holorecorder here,” Kylo Ren instructed. “Before the end of the night, I will present.” 

-

“ _You couldn’t have mentioned this before_ …,” Krys hissed at Hux, “In our little _chat_ …”

Hux only gave a shit-eating grin, teasing her. Always a such a fucking rat.

“So then,” General Pryde pressed. “What is the decision of the… _Supreme Leader…_ and Acting Commander for this plan of attack?”

Krys could barely even remember what they had been talking about. Her mind went completely blank. A second passed in her stunned silence, but Hux, unfettered, quickly took up the slack:

“We need more details first, of course, General. If successful, what should we expect in necessary loss of manpower and resources?”

General Pryde indulged Hux, and the meeting continued on as such. But for the rest of the conference, Krys didn’t say a single thing, only trying to keep her trembling to a minimum.

-

Here, Rey near apologized for Kylo having to face the horde by himself. But he wouldn’t hear it. He merely forwarded to the time he gave his speech: 

To address the cultists, Kylo had manned his helmet, but still remained in the same space as Rey. The holorecorder sat before him; as it cut on, the only visual it broadcasted was his kingly presence: 

“Sith Eternal, our good and faithful people,” Kylo began his appeal, taking a que from how Hux always did it, “You have been ever patient in your duty towards the Final Order, and to great success. Your sacrifices have led us to the day where we hold the most powerful army the galaxy has ever seen. While we _have_ lost a ship, and many of our brothers and sisters, it was not in vain...”

Kylo went on to say that this was _all according to plan_. That, in coming from the First Order himself, he had foreseen great casualties from the start that even _Palpatine_ hadn’t if they tried to fight outright. 

“Truly, _that_ was why we did not engage in battle,” Kylo fucking lied, “Indeed, it was not the time to strike. We must develop a defense strategy against hyperspace attacks before proceeding. As such, all resources will be poured into research to develop countermeasures. During this, we will remain in the system of Ahch-To.” 

Kylo explained: “You may have heard rumors of the Empress’ condition. Well, rest assured, she is fine, only experiencing some _symptoms_ from the reconstitution… but Ahch-To’s special properties will assist with that. As it has great Light, so too does it have great Darkness.” 

“Soon, Eternal, soon!” Kylo placated, “We will head to the Promised Land in due time. Your hard work is all paying off. Upon the next update, I will speak again. _All hail the Dark Side_.” 

And the transmission cut. 

But the Sith Eternal were _not happy_.

-

The First Order meeting was over.

The next steps were clear.

And there was so much to do.

Krys never stopped shaking. The tasks before them were monumental:

They still aimed to take the fleet?

She had to find and destroy the Dyad?

Become the Master, the Leader?

She broke out in a sweat.

It was so much.

So much.

But the worst part was there was _no time_.

Krys stared at her arm and leg.

 _Goddammit._ She could not afford to rest, to get better. She had to become the greatest, as soon as possible.

So that night, she practically ran to the sim room, limping all the way. And she fired it up.

To maximum difficulty.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GUYS GUESS WHAT?? REYLO SMUT IS COMING IN THE NEXT CHAPTER!!  
> 38 CHAPTERS IN AND THE REYLO SMUT FINALLY HITS
> 
> GOOD GOOD 
> 
> Thank you for reading "Teach Me, Please!"   
> Let's link up! Find me on twitter as @KyloWithZukoArc


	38. Chapter 38

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey and Kylo continue to wrack their brains for what to do with with cultists, but they get a little... distracted.  
> Meanwhile, Krys and Hux make for a distraction of their own.
> 
> So is to say REYLO SMUT HAS FINALLY HIT EVERYONE REYLO SMUT HAS HIT
> 
> IT ONLY TOOK 38 CHAPTERS BUT IT IS FINALLY HERE
> 
> AAA THANK YOU, ENJOY

Rey released her concentration. Both she and Kylo heaved an intake of breath from the strain loosening.

“You… You were able to stall,” Rey surmised, “Good thinking on that research.”

“Somewhat,” Kylo commented, “While the Eternal have their busywork to develop defense measures, this is not what they imagined. Not what Palpatine promised.”

“Right… Their whole lives have been spent on this fleet…,” Rey recalled from her encounter with Ssark, “When we came, they were ready to wreck havoc.”

Kylo nodded, “They’re tired of waiting. They’re chomping at the bit.” He sighed, “And it’s not just that.”

“What do you mean?”

Kylo locked eyes with hers. He then extended out his own hand, preparing the next wave. He would show what the High Acolytes had reported back to him after his speech. Rey opened herself to take it in, and so he began his transmission. 

-

Hux made his way back to his chambers, yawning. Another long day in for the books, full of meetings, strategizing, and directing. Hopefully, he thought, Millicent had been a good girl while he was away. He made a checklist of tasks: the little demon needed a bath soon, and her claws trimmed, as well as a good brushing. He remarked on this that there was always _something_ needing his attention - when a distant, familiar ring interrupted his musings. The echoes of lasers sounded through the hallways, an occurrence he had not heard in a minute.

 _The private sim room?_ he detected. _Why is that on…_ And he froze. There was only one person who could possibly be using it now.

Someone who could barely walk.

And he ran to the zone. 

-

Through Kylo, Rey experienced the masses’ cries:

_“Waiting… waiting… more WAITING?!”_

_“We have been so patient for the Messiahs…,_ ” rallied the people, _“and now that they have come, we run?”_

_“We built the most powerful fleet in the galaxy… and then a Destroyer was felled right from the outset?”_

_“We keep changing direction… Usucar, now Ahch-To. Why are we going to a Jedi Temple for help?_

_“The Great Empress is sick? Is she not all-powerful? This is not right...”_

_“Did… Palpatine… lie… to us?”_

Rey’s heart pumped with fear. The Sith Eternal. There was more than mere discontent at stake. Their actual faith… was already beginning to shake.

Kylo ended his retelling, sharing in the gravity with Rey. In a grave tone he spoke: “If we don’t do something soon” - he pulled his hand away - “… to strengthen their belief, they’ll turn on us.”

“They’re a ticking time bomb…,” Rey trembled. “Shit, shit.”

She cursed Palpatine in every way thinkable. He promised the cultists so much… it forced the Dyad’s hand to play his role. And while the Dyad needed the Final Order as protection against the _First_ Order, if they didn’t handle this correctly, it could blow up in worse ways than they could ever expect.

What were they to do?

“ _Embrace it_ ,” arose their adversary, “ _Run free with the destruction.”_

 _“Goddammit,”_ Rey riled. “ _Go away._ ”

 _“You keep fighting the inevitable,”_ Palpatine laid _, “And why? Every power and pleasure you could ever want is right there on the table. Ripe for the taking_.”

“ _Fuck you, Palpatine_ ,” reacted Kylo into her.

“ _Suit yourself_ ,” Palpatine laughed. They could _feel_ his wretched smile. _Feel it_. “ _In any case._ _I shall see you soon again on Ahch-To…_ ”

And once again, they were left alone. Palpatine retreated to places unknown to them, and he was unreachable.

-

Krys stood her ground. It was all she could do.

As much as the new _Supreme Leader_ had tried to dodge - her normal forte - Krys’ leg was simply not allowing it. She could hardly lean on it, so agility was out of the question.

She batted away every blast in the sim room, using both of her sabers. Perspiration dripped from her forehead. This was not an exercise against projectiles _specifically_ ,but in anticipation. She no longer had a training partner, so all she could focus on was foresight through the Force. If she could not dual properly anymore, well, then making sure any attacks charging towards her could be parried - that is what she would work on.

But her stupid right arm. It just wouldn’t _move_ the way she wanted. Soon, she had to turn to Forceholding laser blasts she couldn’t ward off in time. But they began to stockpile. 

Shot after shot came, and soon, there was too much to focus on. At worst, the saber in her prosthetic hand went flying across the room, her grip too loose to keep onto it. But she was stubborn; Krys refused to back down, even as the onslaught kept coming against her. Harder and faster she pushed herself, until she was overwhelmed.

She ducked to the floor, and the blitzkrieg soared overhead. As the battle droids recalibrated their aim, she braced for impact.

When the emergency killswitch was engaged.

And all the bots firing against her immediately powered down.

Krys’ concentration had entirely been on the droids - with them shutting off, she was completely taken by surprise. Her eyeline swerved to the control booth.

Where she found Hux.

“WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!” she screamed towards him.

“What am I doing, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!” he reviled back.

“Charge it back on, Hux - How _dare_ you turn it off.”

“You JUST got out of the hospital,” Hux yelled at her, coming out of the booth. He stomped towards her, angriest he had ever been towards Krys, perhaps since they first met. “And you’re practicing here _\- alone_?! Do you HAVE a DEATH WISH?”

Krys equally charged towards him, pointing fingers the whole while. “We are up against,” she seethed, “ _two_ Master Sith, who have a _Force bond_ , and an army that can destroy _planets_. We don’t have _time_ for me to recover proper.”

“If you keep on like this, you WON’T recover.”

“If I can’t survive a fucking _sim room battl_ e, then _I don’t deserve to live_.”

By that point, they were in each other’s faces. Hux grabbed her shoulders with total ferocity.

“ _Get off me_ , Hux,” she roared, “GET OFF.”

She shook against him, but his grip kept firm as he berated into her:

“ _Never_ say that again,” Hux demanded, “Do you fucking hear me? _Never s_ ay that.”

And Krys she looked into his eyes, their flames riding against each other. She wondered if she had ever even seen Kylo this angry. 

For sure, never anyone this pissed on her behalf.

“I’ll say whatever I want,” she recoiled, “I’m the - I’m the fucking _Supreme Leader_ now, right? So I can, I can…”

She shook beneath his palms. Her legs became jello.

“Oh god,” she faltered, “I’m the Supreme Leader…”

_Fuck._

She could have crumbled to the floor right then.

She had no experience ruling. Only having shadowed what Kylo had done, when she wasn’t in the training room. 

And Kylo had been there for at least ten years. Even before that, he was groomed for leadership, arguably. But she…

The pressure. The pressure.

But Hux held her firmly.

“You know what you need?” he stated, “You… need a drink.”

The randomness of the statement baffled her.

“Didn’t I ‘ _just get out of the hospital_ ’?” she threw back in his face.

“Point is, you ought to relax. Killing yourself isn’t going to help, _oh Supreme Leader_.”

Krys was about to give him more attitude, when a dawning clicked in her brain:

“… Do you… like… Corellian whiskey?” she asked the General.

-

Rey frustratedly took out her life support. For hours now, all the Dyad had done was bounce ideas back and forth as to how to handle the cultists.

They needed a demonstration of strength. Something to terrify the Acolytes back into submission. 

“Look, what they really want is to destroy something, right?” Kylo had said, “So let’s blow up Ahch-To.”

“WHAT?”

“I mean _after_ we are done with it, obviously.”

“ _You_ — _No_ , Kylo. We are _not_ blowing up Ahch-To.”

“Look,” he reasoned, “It’s the ultimate symbol of Jedi history, a metaphorical death. Mostly uninhabited…”

Rey both could and couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “I know you hate Luke that much, Kylo, but people live there.”

“Fine. Then we’ll take them as prisoners.”

“ _That’s not the_ — Look, blowing up a planet is exactly what Palpatine would _want_ us to do…”

Kylo sighed. “Fine. Fine. You’re right.”

A beat passed.

“Then let’s kill off some of the cultists instead.”

“KYLO!”

“It’ll show them who’s boss!”

“Kylooo…”

“Fine, we can pit them against each other. Trial by combat.”

“KYLO, _NO_!”

And so on they fought.

-

Hux followed Krys all the way to the former Supreme Leader’s abode. The entrance was locked.

But now Krys held the omnicode for all gates.

Though that wasn’t how she chose to enter.

Krys kicked in the door to find exactly how Kylo left his quarters. Everything neat and pristine. Save for the new crack in the wall from the felled door smacking it.

Krys’ voice came out in the flattest tone imaginable. “Where does he keep it. I wonder.”

And suddenly the closet door jerked off its hinges, sending all the contents splayed out onto the floor; boxes crashed and broke apart into pieces.

“Hm. Not there.”

And the nightstand flew across the floor, smashing into the wall with a lamp.

“Not there.”

She drew a saber now, with her good hand.

Hux looked on.

Krys tore into every corner of the room. Kylo’s dresser drawers collapsed under the red, the work desk and its data pads broken into a thousand slices, and all his shelves fell to her strikes.

“Krys,” Hux called.

But she ignored him.

“ _KRYS_ ,” he called again.

“ _WHAT?_ ” she racked, full of spite.

“May I?” he asked, putting out his hand.

And Krys stared at it. Then up to him.

And she threw him her other weapon.

Together now, Krys and Hux destroyed Kylo’s room far worse than the any of the damage he had ever caused it.

Hux in particular looked onto the pedestal that held Vader’s mask.

A surge of fury ran through him there.

“Pathetic copycat,” he said underneath his breath.

And he sliced the pedestal in half. Vader’s helmet clanged to the ground. And Hux stomped onto it.

Again. Again. And again.

Until the helmet lay no more.

Now Krys was gazing at him. They locked eyes. And she singularly nodded.

Quietly now, Krys mentally opened the last kitchen cabinet door on the left. The only one untouched, revealing the whiskey.

She called it to her, laying back up a small fallen table with two chairs with the Force. She then got out two glasses.

“Ice?” she said, pulling some out.

“Please.”

And Hux naturally joined her at the table.

-

Rey and Kylo had gotten absolutely no where. 

“I’m hearing a whole lot of ‘ _no_ ’s, Rey, but not a lot of ideas,” Kylo jerked. It was so late now, their patience worn so thin.

“We can’t wreck havoc,” she stated.

“What, like you haven’t killed people before?”

“That was different. That was battle.”

“And this is different, how?”

“We — ugh,” she scrunched into herself, “It just _is_.”

“Great,” the Emperor rolled off. He started pacing the room. “Great, just _great_.”

Rey nursed a headache. They were supposed to be working together. _Together._ But they just kept hitting different angles. “How much longer until we get to Ahch-To?” she asked.

“Tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow _…_ Tomorrow. Always tomorrow…,” she bleared.

Kylo breathed. “Hey…” He looked over. She pursed her lips. “It’s... You just woke up from a veritable coma… and we’ve been at it all day.”

“It’s… necessary…,” she rubbed her eyes. He came to touch her shoulder.

“Rey,” he said.

“Yeah?” she said back.

“We’ll figure this out,” he smiled, “We’re the Dyad. Or something. Whatever midiclorian nonsense that is. But we’re here, together. Alright? We got this.”

And her headache seemed to dim then.

And she kissed him.

-

The whiskey bottle sat half empty now. Both Krys and Hux’s faces glowed from the alcohol in their system. Hux sat in the inebriation.

“Honestly?” Hux began his admission, “Even with the odds stacked against us, I’m glad Kylo is gone.” He could have spit the words.

Krys poured herself another, evaluating it all. “You two… did not get along.”

“To say the least.” The General leaned back against the chair. “He always acted like he knew better than me, than _everyone_. He kicked me around, even though I _grew up_ in the First Order. When Snoke pulled him in, I’d already put in fifteen years.”

“That’s ridiculous.”

“It is. And then he was given the position of _Commander,”_ Hux’s tongue was acid. “He was a hotheaded _asshole_ who shoved everyone around. And he got away with it, all because Snoke liked to play _favorites_.”

“Well then... Are you happy Snoke is gone, too?”

“Haha,” Hux face turned sly, “I am not at liberty to disclose.”

Krys smirked.

She went to try lifting her glass, intentionally with her robotic hand. But it was… harder than it needed to be.

“Fuck,” she cussed, “I hate this.”

Hux watched her, his face softening.

“Kylo is a bastard for doing it,” he condemned.

Krys felt hot with anger. “I just… I can’t believe it… I mean, I _can_. But…” she palmed the cup in practice, clasping and unclasping it. “We trained together. We planned together. We _killed_ together. And we…”

Hux ground his jaw, waiting for her to finish that thought. But she retracted. Instead she said, “It doesn’t matter. None of it. In the end, he threw me away like trash.”

Hux chewed on that. He looked meaningful into her. “It’s… hard, losing someone you love.”

Krys upstarted. Ready to deny it. Ready to save face.

But… what was the use?

He already knew.

Perhaps everyone did.

“It’s more than that...,” Krys trailed, “Kylo... gave me guidance. He was my teacher. You know…” The Sith swirled her glass. “My entire life… I felt so lost. There was something inside me, always there; I didn’t know what to do with it. But Kylo showed me the ways of the Force. He gave clarity to my steps. I finally had a path. Clear direction. I could realize my potential…

“But now. With him gone… I feel so lost again,” she unraveled, “I’m supposed to be the _Supreme Leader_? I don’t know what I’m doing. I don’t know how to command armies. I’m good at killing. Fighting. I don’t know how to _rule_.”

“I do,” Hux said, “Remember… You _are ‘_ Supreme Leader’… But you have all of us to guide you. I’ll help you. Be your advisor. I’ll show you... the ways of military force, so to say.”

And Krys smiled in a sad, sweet, yet sardonic way. “So you don’t plan on killing me and taking the throne?”

Hux smiled back. “You are quite useful alive. Don’t give me any reason to, and you’ll be fine.”

And they both laughed.

A kind of dark humor only they could appreciate.

“Fuck Kylo,” toasted Hux, raising his glass.

Krys snorted out her nose, wiping some wetness from her eye. “Yeah. Fuck Kylo. And that bitch ass Jedi too.”

And they clinked their drinks. And drank all of Kylo’s whiskey.

-

Kylo had to drink in Rey. For so long had he been by her side, watching over her. He needed her now. As much as she needed him.

As their kiss deepened, so did the space between them close. Kylo moved over her, the bond creating a headiness unlike anything they had felt before. They practically absorbed each other.

“Rey…,” Kylo whispered into her ear. “Rey…”

And she was suddenly so nervous. Never had she been so very dwarfed by anyone before, never held so intimately. He caressed her cheek.

 _You’re… afraid_ , he spoke into her mind.

 _I… I…_ Rey’s literal thoughts stuttered. She could hardly articulate her meaning.

But he knew it well. He knew it all so well.

 _Though you… want it…_ He mentally cooed. Her heat meshed with his. There was no telling here where lust ended and love began, where desire started and empathy stopped. The want for understanding, to be explored, possessed. To possess, to care, to be rough, to be soft.

 _I… I do…_ Rey blushed. Kylo heard all her insecurities and withdrawal. He knew exactly where she stood. As he had been there before. And all he wanted was to break it apart, piece by piece, yet simultaneously, to ravage her in one go.

 _Let me try something_ , he said. And the way Rey knew the terror of Palpatine shutting her off from everything else, that fear had now been replaced. Kylo sheltered her with his spirit. He wrapped her in all of himself, physically and spiritually.

It was here Rey felt the most peace she had in years. There was nothing besides them now. The only thing in existence was Kylo - _no_ -Ben Solo - and Rey, Rey Nobody.

They barely registered anymore that they were material beings. As Kylo delved more and more into Rey with his soul and lips, Rey gave herself totally over to him. While there was still a twinge of nervousness, Ben yearned to smatter it all away.

He enveloped her, slowly coaxing her out of the timidity. Rey ran her fingers through his hair, it softer than she ever expected.

“Ben…,” she whispered.

“Yes…?” he answered, without question.

“This is all I have wanted… for years.”

“Then take it,” he goaded. 

So she did. Her hands moved down over his tunic, and he pulled back to shake it off. In such a funny way, she already missed him from the short distance away. And as he removed the covering, she reminisced how she saw him the first time like that. 

And she palmed his scars, the old and new. The one she gave him on Starkiller, tracing it down to his chest. It fell into another… the Lichtenberg figure, from Palpatine. And there was more at his hip. His shoulder…

It stirred too many emotions inside her. From their past, his life in danger, and more. But even more spiked has he unswaddled her robes. 

The exposure froze her. In all honesty, she didn’t even know what to expect. These feelings were so confusing; she wished for the nearness, but had no idea what that really looked like, entailed. And he understood that. So Kylo led the way. 

She now lied naked before him, and she unassuredly went to cover herself with her hands, but he would not allow that.

“Rey,” he loved, “You’re beautiful.”

He pulled her wrists back, and it both scared and incited her.

Kylo felt Rey all over; it was almost unbelievable; how long had he hoped for something like this, and now that it was happening, it felt so surreal. But he did not linger too long on that, eagerly shuffling off the remainder of his clothes.

The Dyad was skin to skin now. He had himself stiff against her core, and she shuddered from it. It flustered her and boggled her. And it excited him and taunted him.

“You’re so wet, Rey,” Kylo told his other half. Her heartbeat crashed into his. Rey held onto him for dear life. Was she ready? Was she ready? Kylo could hardly restrain himself.

“I… love you,” Rey said. It was all she knew to say. “I… need you.”

“I need you too, Rey,” Kylo spoke. And he gave in.

Something like an electrical storm passed between them. The directness and intimacy interlaced them, and it both shocked Rey and even hurt a bit.

“Are you alright?” the Emperor asked. He tried to be tender, but found it difficult to not push too hard, too fast.

“I, yes,” Rey squeaked. A small tear fell down the side of her face, not necessarily from the pain. “Keep going.”

Kylo filled her entirely, and the sensation was so unusual, yet so enticing. She maneuvered around him a little to get more comfortable. And he receded back out. 

But when Rey moaned, he could not help but to buck back harder.

And she swathed him, soaked him. The more they continued, the better it felt. 

“Ben… _Ben_ ,” she repeated his name. And it was all he could stand. 

There was nothing but static around them now. The landscape disappeared. They took each others’ breath away, and yet gave it all back. Separated from the universe, Ben indulged in her again and again and again. Rey fed off of his pleasure, and he from hers, and it was not long before a peak began to rise.

There was no rationale here; only carnal enjoyment and nirvana. As he reached his crest, his muscles shaking through it, Rey tapped into it. The high of it all made her eyes roll back into her head, and, finished, he collapsed on top of her.

The Dyad paused to catch themselves, the afterglow soothing the other just the same. And Rey pulled his chin to hers, and they lavished each other.

Lost in one other, the Dyad entirely forgot anything outside themselves, and continued to forget for the rest of the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> <3<3<3 Finally!
> 
> Thank you for reading! 
> 
> I am on twitter now! Find me as KyloWithZukoArc! DM me and I'll follow back!


	39. Chapter 39

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Krys and Hux have a chat. And then some.
> 
> aka SMUT AHEAD. Don't like, don't read. :)
> 
> Note: This chapter will only have Krys and Hux in it, then the next chapter will be all Kylo and Rey.
> 
> Thanks all <3

“So, wait,” Krys slurred at the First Order, completely off balance. She’d long lost count of how many drinks she’d had. “So what hap-pened?”

“Fuckin Phasma,” Hux relayed, likely the drunkest he’d ever been in his life, “may she Rest In Peace - best Captain the First Order has ever had - fuckin Phasma,” Hux spewed, “We found her in the GARBAGE SHOOT.”

“NO.”

“God help me there was a BANANA PEEL ON HER HEAD WHEN WE GOT THE TRANSMISSION. ‘ _General, the shields have been compromised_ ,’ she said. WITH A FUCKING BANANA PEEL ON HER HEAD.”

“HAHAHAHAHA!” Krys completely fucking lost it. God, she had not laughed so hard in years. When was the last time her stomach had hurt from laughing this much?

Fuck. It was the best. Tears were near streaming down her face.

“I can’t believe that shit,” Krys joked.

“Goddamn it. I miss Phasma. What a waste,” Hux said.

“I wish I could have met her.”

“Oh, you would have loved her. Incredible woman. She could have taught you so much.”

“But the fucking banana peel.”

And they lost it again.

In catching their breath, a small quiet moment met them. And then Krys had a devilish look in her eye.

“So our secrets are moot now…”

“Hm?”

She clarified: “No one would dare take Millicent from you at this point. And Kylo’s past… well, it doesn’t matter.”

“Yeah?”

“So…,” she sipped the last of her drink, “Tell me another secret.”

Hux smiled so coyly at her.

“Oh. Me? I have the best secret. You’ll never guess.”

“You wear women’s underwear.”

“Oh, everyone already knows that.”

She had to take a moment to compose herself. “Tell me,” she urged, taking another sip.

He leaned in close.

“I… am the spy.”

Krys nearly dropped her glass. She just about choked. “What?”

“ _I_ leaked the existence of Palpatine.”

Her face was completely awash of all understanding there.

“You’re serious...?”

“Dead serious.”

“What the fuck?” Krys held, “Why would you do that?”

“Think about it,” he said. “We needed the Jedi girl. But the Resistance was in hiding, so we had to draw them out. And see, the Jedi were always anti-Dark. So I put it out in the world that Palpatine had returned. They heard it. And then came out of hiding. Then your friends heard about them hearing it… Badda bing, badda boom. We got them.”

Krys’ jaw was completely open. Her mind connected the dots. “You had a fall guy and everything…”

Hux lip curled up as he drained the last of his too.

“But what about the confession?” Krys asked.

“What confession?” he winked.

And Krys couldn’t believe it. Her brow was still stuck in disbelief. “Why didn’t you just tell that plan to the Order?”

“Kylo would have never gone for it,” Hux pushed his glass away from him. “Besides. For it to be believable, it had to look like the First Order was protecting that info. Keeping up appearances, covering up the threat to their power... And they did. So.”

“Hux, that...,” she took a huge breath, “You evil fucking genius.”

He snorted in satisfaction. “So. That’s my secret. So now I need one from you. For mutually assured destruction.”

And she eyed him carefully.

Something about him in that moment was just so fantastic.

So glorious.

So beautiful.

She lied back into her chair.

And she couldn’t hold her liquor.

“I want you to fuck me,” is what she said, locking eyes with his.

The man behind the eyes went from a joking demeanor straight into a lion watching his prey. Krys just breathed, never breaking eye contact.

And he calmly placed his tumbler back down.

He slowly rose to his feet.

Hux walked around the small stand. Still keeping her gaze, neither backing down. He stepped over to her. And took her neck in his hand. He bent down, simultaneously raising her up to him. A light gasp emitted from her. His grip was firm, unyielding. And so were his lips.

He pushed them onto hers, and she fully received them. They swam together, as as he pushed, she pulled, and as he pulled, she pushed. They danced. A complete intoxication. She appreciated it. Clearly, he was a man with experience. Thank god.

She reached for his jacket, and he splashed her over the table, glasses cracking on the ground. As he crushed her beneath him, she wrapped her legs around his waist. They were not shy. They were not nice.

Immediately he began to grind against her, and she fucking moaned. She lost herself to it.

He growled into her ear: “This what you wanted?”

And, sitting up, he placed his hand between her thighs. Moving up, his fingers felt over her insides, while his other still held her throat.

“Fuck,” she said. “Yes. That. More.”

He slid his hand under her pantsline then, finding her a complete mess. She was so slick beyond all measure.

“God, you’re desperate.”

Krys, desperate? Frayed? Pinned?

Always.

She felt him in return. His hardness pressed against his zipper in his perfectly tailored uniform. He was so ready. She was so ready. “Give it to me,” she ordered.

He pulled her off the table then, handling her to Kylo’s old mattress. He practically shoved her down onto it. He began to undress himself, carefully unbuttoning his collared shirt, as she halfhazardly pulled her own garb off. He watched her strip for him.

Waiting for him to finish undressing, Krys touched herself.

“Hurry up,” she ordered him.

“Enjoying the view,” he said, finally done with his button-down.

He pulled the rest of his ensemble off, and she reached for him as he crawled over top of her. She kissed him hungrily, and he messed with her breasts. Finally she felt him at her entrance. She mewed to him.

“You’re sure about this?” he drunkenly asked.

“It’s a terrible idea,” she said, “Do it.”

And he held himself, finding her opening, and pushed inside.

Hux fucked her without restraint. And before long, _she_ had _him_ below her. She pounded him with all her intensity. She gave him all her fury, her frustration, her hatred. Hux let her know how much he loved it, gasping, groping, groaning.

“You like that?” she bid to him.

“Fuck, it’s so good,” Hux relayed. “Can you cum from this position?”

“We’ll see,” she said, and started touching herself. He placed his finger in her mouth to suck, and she licked it up for him.

They were a goddamn mess. The whiskey ran straight to their heads. Their pleasure whirled about. The warmth within her began to rise, and she grasped it with every fiber of her being.

“I’m coming,” she said.

“Yes. _Yes_ ,” he relayed, “Cum, Krys. Do it. Fucking _do it_.”

And she concentrated so hard. She needed that next edge. Something to send her over.

And she thought of Kylo.

Him back inside her.

Wanting her.

Ramming her.

Comforting her from nightmares. From pain.

And she reached her apex.

A silent scream met the ceiling, as Hux watched her glorious face.

She caught her breath then. But as the tension began to break in her, so too did something else.

Her face contorted into the ugliest show, and she started to cry.

Krys fucking _ugly_ cried.

Hux, shocked, reached out for her.

“Krys, Krys!”

But it was over. She was a complete wreck. She went spiraling down.

 _Fuck, so weak, so weak!_ she internally screamed at herself.

She tried to catch all her tears, but they still spilled into Hux’s stomach. She lurched to pull away, when he pulled back.

He jerked her into his chest, and he enclosed her there. She tried to move, tried to run, but she was an unintelligible animal.

“Don’t be kind to me,” she wheeled out. “Stop. This is weakness. Don’t feed this.”

“You’re not weak. You’re the strongest person I know,” he told her.

“Stop... no.... Why are you being so nice,” she blubbered out.

“Because I like you, dummy,” he released.

Oh. He wasn’t supposed to say that.

Another secret out.

She stilled for but a moment.

And then a raging monster was yet again released.

“Fuck YOU, DON’T TELL ME THAT.” She fully pushed herself from him, retreating off the bed, nigh at the other end of the room now. But she tripped on her bad foot, the mess about the ground, and fell.

“Krys!” he yelled to her from the bed.

“Stay back,” she riled. “This is your plan isn’t it? To get close. Fuck me up, fuck me over. You just want my position. You want to get in my head. Tell me you love me. Make me do what you want. I can’t do that again. I can’t. Fuck you. Fuck _you_!”

“That isn’t it at all,” he yelled, now standing up.

“I said STAY BACK,” she utterly screeched.

And she Force blasted him to the wall, Hux grunting upon the hit. She kept him there, his face totally aghast.

And Krys yelled like a wild animal; the room literally shook from it. Anything that wasn’t already fallen off the walls crashed to the ground.

And then she puked.

Hux fell down back to the bed from her hold, and she kept puking.

Every ounce of respectively gone from her, Krys hurled onto the messy floor. Without any self awareness, eventually she lost consciousness. And like a drunken rat, the Supreme Leader passed the fuck out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Krys is a freaking mess.
> 
> Thank you for reading "TEACH ME, PLEASE."  
> Let's connect! I'm on Twitter as @KyloWithZukoArc. I love to chat with readers, so please DM me, it's the best!   
> More Reylo energy will appear again in the next update.
> 
> PS... Krys x Hux has become endgame yall... Just a heads up, LOL. I really hope you enjoy. Thanks.


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